Saint Sabinus of Spoleto

Venustianus, governor of Tuscany Vénustien, gouverneur de Toscane Governor of Tuscany, initially a persecutor then a convert. , having been informed of this, soon put an end to this happy progress; for, having encount ered o Assise Site of the arrest of Saint Sabinus. ur Saint in Assisi where he was preaching the Gospel, he had him p Marcel Deacon of Sabinus, martyr. ut i n prison w Exupérance Deacon of Sabinus, martyr. ith Marcellus and Exuperantius, his deacons, and several other members of his clergy. Some time later, he had them appear before him and wished to force them to worship a small statue of Jupiter, made of coral and covered in gold cloth, which he kept in his apartment. But Sabinus, taking it in his hands, generously threw it to the ground and smashed it to pieces.

This action so irritated Venustianus that he had the holy prelate's hands cut off and his deacons stretched on the rack, where they were broken by blows from sticks, torn with iron claws, and burned with flaming torches, until they had given up their souls through the severity of these tortures.

Sabinus, who always encouraged them during their martyrdom, was brought back to prison, where, after six days, a widow of high birth name d Sere Sérène Charitable widow who assisted Sabinus and buried him. na, who used her wealth for works of charity, came to find him to offer her services. From then on, she took great care to assist him and to provide him with the necessities of life; and her piety was not without reward; for, having a blind nephew named Priscillian, Saint Sabi nus, to who Priscillien Nephew of Serenus, healed of blindness by Sabinus. m she brought him, restored his sight; which was the cause of the conversion of fifteen prisoners who witnessed this great miracle.

Venustianus had left the Saint in peace, due to a cruel pain in his eyes by which he was tormented for thirty-two days; but, having learned of the miracle of the healing of Priscillian, he came to find the wonder-worker in prison, with his wife and his two sons, to beg him to also give him some relief in the unbearable torment he was enduring. Sabinus answered him that, if he would believe in Jesus Christ and be baptized with his family, he would immediately obtain what he asked for. He consented, threw into the river the pieces of the coral statue of which we have spoken, had himself instructed in the mysteries of our religion, and received the sacrament of spiritual regeneration. His wife and children shared in this happiness; and shortly after they all lost their heads for the confession of the Gospel, by the sentence of Lucius, whom Maximian sent express ly to Lucius Judge sent by Maximian to condemn Venustian and Sabinus. judge them.

For Saint Sabin, this new president had him taken to Spoleto, where he was condemned to be whipped with leaded cords: the executioners carried out this sentence with such violence and cruelty that he expired in their hands. This was on December 7, 303; but as the Roman Martyrology only marks him on the 30th, we have deferred writing his Acts until that day. Serena, who was also later crowned with a glorious martyrdom, took his body and buried it honorably one mile from the city, with his hands which she had redeemed and embalmed and which she kept preciously in a crystal vase. Since then, a distinguished basilica and an underground church have been built in his honor. His relics were transported to Faenza (Bomagne), which led so me aut Faenza Birthplace of the saint in Romagna. hors to say that he had been bishop there. Several other cities in Italy have his bones, and his memory has always been so famous there that one sees various monasteries built under his name.

This account is by Father Père Giry French hagiographer, author of the version of the narrative presented. Giry.