St. Valentine
At least three different Saint Valentines, all of them martyrs, are
mentioned in the early martyrologies under date of 14 February. One is described as a
priest at Rome, another as bishop of Interamna (modern Terni), and these two seem both
to have suffered in the second half of the third century and to have been buried on
the Flaminian Way, but at different distances from the city. In William of
Malmesbury's time what was known to the ancients as the Flaminian Gate of Rome and is
now the Porta del Popolo, was called the Gate of St. Valentine. The name seems to have
been taken from a small church dedicated to the saint which was in the immediate
neighborhood. Of both these St. Valentines some sort of Acta are preserved but they
are of relatively late date and of no historical value. Of the third Saint Valentine,
who suffered in Africa with a number of companions, nothing further is known.
PATRONAGE:
affianced couples, bee keepers, betrothed couples, engaged couples, epilepsy,
fainting, greetings, happy marriages, love, lovers, plague, travellers, young people
Saint Valentine's Day
The popular customs associated with Saint Valentine's Day undoubtedly had their origin
in a conventional belief generally received in England and France during the Middle
Ages, that on 14 February, i.e. half way through the second month of the year, the
birds began to pair. Thus in Chaucer's Parliament of Foules we read:
For this was sent on Seynt Valentyne's day
Whan every foul cometh ther to choose his mate.
For this reason the day was looked upon as specially consecrated to lovers and as a
proper occasion for writing love letters and sending lovers' tokens. Both the French
and English literatures of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries contain allusions to
the practice. Perhaps the earliest to be found is in the 34th and 35th Ballades of the
bilingual poet, John Gower, written in French; but Lydgate and Clauvowe supply other
examples. Those who chose each other under these circumstances seem to have been
called by each other their Valentines.
ANOTHER STORY:
Saint Valentine the Patron of Love
According to a legend, born in Anglo - Saxon countries, St Valentine used to give the
young girls and boys going and seeing him a flower of his garden. Two of these young
people fell in love with each other and got married. St Valentine blessed their
marriage and their union was so happy and serene that many other couples wanted the
Saint Bishop to bless their marriage.
In order to satisfy the numerous demands, he fixed a day of the year in which he gave
all couples his general wedding blessing. For this reason he began to be called
protector of engaged people.
Moreover the popular tradition hands down the legend of SABINO and SERAPIA. It
enphasizes that love is much stronger than death, when it binds two people in God's
name.
Sabino, a pagan roman, centurion and a Christian girl, Serapia, fell in love with each
other, but their parents impeded their union because of the persecution of the
christians.
However they went in loving each other and Serapia's words and behavious won Sabino
who began to be interested inthe Christian religion so that at last he asked to become
a member of the Christian community. St Valentine explained the mysteres of christian
religion to him, took care of them and prepared them for a christian marriage.
Everything was ready for the baptism and marriage, when Serapia got phthisis. It was
the end of a dream. Sabino didn't want to leave his loved Serapia. So he asked the
Saint Bishop to baptize him, marry them and pray God to let them die together. And it
happened.
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