Saint Abdon

Deci Dèce Roman emperor responsible for the persecution of Christians in 250. us, informed of these acts of charity, was greatly irritated by them. He sent for the two brothers to be seized and had them appear before his tribunal. He first treated them with great gentleness and told them that the victory he had won should teach them that the gods of the Roman Empire were all-powerful, and that they held the fortune of peoples and kingdoms in their hands; that thus they should have no difficulty in worshipping them and offering them incense and sacrifices. The Saints wisely replied to him that his victory was in no way a proof of the power of his gods; that those very ones he worshipped were worshipped by the Persians who had been defeated; that it was the only true God, creator of heaven and earth, and his Son, Jesus Christ, who gave victory to some and permitted others to be defeated for the hidden designs of his providence; that they recognized and worshipped only him, and that they would never worship any others. Decius commanded that they be loaded with chains and placed in a dark prison while waiting for him to depart from the East to go to Rome Rome Birthplace of Maximian. to receive the honor of the triumph.

Shortly after, the emperor learned of the death of Galba, whom he had left as vicar in Rome. This news made him hasten his return, and he brought his two prisoners with him to make them one of the finest ornaments of his triumphal entry. When they had suffered this confusion in the presence of an immense crowd, he had them called before the senate in the state they were in, that is to say in chains, but otherwise covered in gold and precious stones; and, after having made known to the senators their nobility and their rare qualities, turning towards them, he told them that it was up to them to return to their estates and the offices of which they had been stripped, and even to receive greater ones from the liberality of the Roman empire; that by sacrificing to the gods they would obtain all his graces and that he would consider them as his friends rather than as his subjects. Abdon and Se nnen Abdon 3rd-century Persian martyr. repl ied th Sennen Persian martyr, companion of Saint Abdon. at they had themselves consecrated and immolated themselves to the service of Jesus Christ; that they recognized no other God than him and that they would never worship imaginary divinities that were only demons or idols. Thus they absolutely refused to offer incense on a tripod that Claudius, priest of the Capitol, had brought. At this refusal, they were led to prison, and the next day, Decius, having abandoned their case to the prefect Valerian, they wer e dragge Valérien Roman emperor under whom the martyrdom took place. d into the amphitheater to force them to bend their knees before the statue of the Sun. But the Martyrs having spat upon it instead of adoring it, they were cruelly whipped with leaded cords; and, when they were bruised and covered with wounds and blood, two lions and four bears were released against them to devour them.

These animals, instead of harming them, lay down at their feet and became their guardians. The prefect attributed this wonder to some magical prestige; but he did not know how he would draw the Martyrs from there to make them undergo other tortures, for no one dared to approach them, fearing these ferocious beasts. He sent gladiators who, by the permission of God, slaughtered them and took their lives; thus their beautiful souls flew up to heaven to receive there the reward for their faith, from their detachment from all things of the earth and from their illustrious martyrdom.

Their bodies, by the command of Valerian, were taken from the place of their execution and dragged to the feet of the idol of the Sun, where they remained for three days without burial, to strike fear into the Christians; but, at the end of th is tim Quirin Prefect who ordered the arrest and torture of Tryphon. e, Quirinus, a subdeacon, who is said to have written their history, took them away and buried them in his house, wher e, under the reign Constantin le Grand Roman emperor whose conversion ended Christian persecutions. of Constantine the Great, they were discovered by divine revelation and transported with great honor to the cemetery of Pontianus, which subsequently took the name of the two holy Martyrs. One can still see there, on an ancient piece of sculpture, the names and figures of our Saints, having on their heads a Persian crown and cap. Their feast is celebrated on the day of their martyrdom, which was July 30, in the year 254.

They are represented in a group, because of their community of faith, homeland, and suffering; exposed to wild animals in the amphitheater. According to a painting in the catacombs, they are seen being crowned by Our Lord Himself.

## CULT AND RELICS. The historian Aymar de Piganiol de la Force wrote in the 18th century, in his *Description historique et géographique de la France*: "It is believed that the bodies of the holy martyrs Abdon and Sennen have rested in the abbey chur ch of Arles (Pyrénées-Orien Arles (Pyrénées-Orientales) Site housing relics and the miraculous tomb. tales) since the end of the 11th century. This church is venerable for its antiquity. One sees there, outside the door, a tomb of very ancient structure, which has something so singular that it deserves to be mentioned. It is of raw gray marble, about six feet long by two wide and as high, not counting the cover which is gabled, like that of ancient tombs, and which is joined by iron clamps well sealed. This tomb is isolated, supported only by two square stones half a foot high; there is always water inside; one draws it with a cloth that one dips into it by means of an opening at one end of the tomb, between the stone that closes it and the one that covers it, and which is so small that one can only pass three fingers of the hand through it, at most. There are times of the year, such as the feast day of Saints Abdon and Sennen, when one draws more water from this tomb than it can contain. The tradition of this country holds that it was in this tomb that the relics of these Martyrs were deposited when they were brought from Rome. This tomb has never lacked water. There are times when it is higher or lower: pilgrims use it for their illnesses, and their faith often relieves their infirmities." The Visitation monastery of Autun also possesses relics of Saints Abdon and Sennen; they come from the abbey of Saint-Jean le Grand. These relics were in the latter abbey from time immemorial, in 1666. They came from Rome; the prior of Anzy (Saône-et-Loire), in 1669, under the pontificate of Clement IX, als o obtained relics of Anzy (Saône-et-Loire) Parish possessing relics of saints. our Saints, which were sent from Rome. They Clément IX Pope in office at the time of the saint's death. were saved from the impious fury of the revolutionaries in 1793. In 1856, they were carried from the church of Anzy to Autun, to bring them closer to those of the Visitation. It was recognized that the bones followed one another and complemented each other, a great proof of authenticity. The relics of Saints Abdon and Sennen, which the church of Anzy possesses today, are: 1° A fragment of the middle part of a tibia of Saint Abdon; 2° the middle part of a fibula of Saint Sennen; 3° a fragment of the left radius, a fragment of a lumbar vertebra, and a fragment of the left calcaneus of Saint Abdon, taken from the reliquary of the Visitation of Autun, with the consent of the community, and reunited with the relic venerated at Anzy, to increase the sacred treasure of this parish. We have completed the account of Father Giry, mainly regarding the relics, with Abbé Cockerut, *Vie du bienheureux Hugues de Poitiers*; and Abbé Cirot de la Ville, *Origines chrétiennes de Bordeaux*.