Saints celebrated on the 31st of July
SAINT ONESIMUS AND COMPANIONS, MARTYRS
Saint Onesimus suffered in the persecution of Decius, along with Alphius, Philadelphus, Cyrinus, Erasmus, and 13 others. After the first torture
for the sake of their faith, which took place at Puteoli (now Pozzuoli), they were sent to Rome. There they endured an excruciating interrogation by the city prefect Tertullus, and afterwards found themselves locked up in the local dungeon. The apostles Peter and Paul themselves, so the legend goes, visited the saints in prison to encourage them.
All the government officials' attempts to induce them to renounce the faith were fruitless. Onesimus and his companions were led out of the dungeon and, for eighteen days, subjected to yet another ordeal, after which they were expelled from the city under the pretence of clemency.
Upon their return to Puteoli, the governor Diomedes had them interrogated and afterwards sentenced to death for remaining steadfast in the Christian faith. Onesimus was crushed with a huge stone and the rest of the martyrs suffered decapitation outside the city walls. However, authentic records of this martyrdom are very scarce, if not even nonexistent. The Roman Martyrology* and Baronius* have not got these martyrs among their records. (VII. 175)
(Information from Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints, Volume 4, Augsburg, 1875, pp. 621-22)
*A hagiography source used by the authors
Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints - Sources and Abbreviations
PRAYER:
Grant, we beseech you, almighty God, that the venerable feast of Saint Onesimus and Companions may increase our devotion and promote our salvation. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Sources of these articles (in the original German): books.google.co.uk, de-academic.com, zeno.org, openlibrary.org
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