ST VICTORINUS, PRIEST AND MARTYR - 5 SEPTEMBER

ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN SEPTEMBER

Saints celebrated on the 5th of September

Prayer to the Angels and the Saints

Heavenly Father, in praising Your Angels and Saints we praise Your glory, for by honouring them we honour You, their Creator. Their splendour shows us Your greatness, which infinitely surpasses that of all creation.

In Your loving providence, You saw fit to send Your Angels to watch over us. Grant that we may always be under their protection and one day enjoy their company in heaven.

Heavenly Father, You are glorified in Your Saints, for their glory is the crowning of Your gifts. You provide an example for us by their lives on earth, You give us their friendship by our communion with them, You grant us strength and protection through their prayer for the Church, and You spur us on to victory over evil and the prize of eternal glory by this great company of witnesses.

Grant that we who aspire to take part in their joy may be filled with the Spirit that blessed their lives, so that, after sharing their faith on earth, we may also experience their peace in heaven. Amen.

ST VICTORINUS, PRIEST AND MARTYR

The Bollandists call Saint Victorinus a priest, while Ado, Usuardus, and Baronius attribute episcopal dignity to him. 

FOR THREE DAYS HE SUFFERED TERRIBLE AGONY

The sulphur springs of the old Sabine town of Contiglione (prope Cutilias) were the place of his martyrdom. For three days he suffered the terrible agony of inhaling the sulphuric fumes (he was hung upside down by his feet) until he died. 

From this point on the legend of this holy Martyr seems to have been confused with that of St Victorinus of Amiternum, whose relics rested side by side with his in the cathedral until the episcopal seat was moved to Rieti. 

THE RELICS

From here Emperor Otto I transferred his relics to Magdeburg; Archbishop Albert II von Sternberg donated part of the holy remains  to Prague. Metz also believed they had relics of this saint. With the large number of holy Martyrs with called Victorinus, a mix-up cannot be ruled out.

(Information from Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints - 📷 Sulphur springs)