Saint Valentine of Terni
Bishop and Martyr
Bishop of Terni in the 3rd century, Valentine converted the philosopher Craton and several disciples after miraculously healing his son. Refusing idolatry, he was beheaded by order of the judge Placidus. His cult is associated with healings and, later, with protection against rodents at Jumièges.
Guided reading
5 reading sections
SAINT VALENTINE, BISHOP OF TERNI (273).
The miracle of the healing
Valentine, Bishop of Terni, miraculously heals the son of the pagan philosopher Craton after demanding the conversion of his entire family.
Valentine, Bishop of Tern Valentin, évêque de Terni Bishop of Terni and 3rd-century martyr. i, in Umbria, was a man powerful in works and in words. He performed great miracles: among others, he healed of a humanly incurable disease the son of Craton, a philo Craton Pagan philosopher whose son was healed by Valentine. sopher very well known in his city. This unhappy father himself very urgently requested this healing, although he was still a pagan.
Valentine made him the promise, if he would first be instructed, he and his family, in the Christian religion and receive the sacrament of baptismal regeneration. This prerequisite having been accepted and executed by Craton and by all the persons of his household, Valentine began to pray, and health was suddenly restored to the young man, which filled his whole family with great joy.
Conversions and condemnation
The miracle led to the conversion of three Athenian students and the prefect Abundius, provoking the execution of Valentine by the judge Placidus.
This prodigy also served for the conversion of three young Athenians who were studying under Craton, na mely: Pr Proculus Athenian disciple of Valentine, martyr. oc ulus, P Phobius Athenian disciple of Valentine, martyr. hobi us, and Ap Apollonius Roman senator and Christian philosopher, martyr under Commodus. ollonius, as well as that of the prefect of the city, na Abundius Prefect of the city converted to Christianity. med Abundi us. The Placide Unworthy disciple who betrayed Leopardinus. judge Placidus, learning of this event, had the prelate beheaded, after having vainly attempted to lead him to idolatry.
The fate of the disciples and the relics
Valentin's disciples transport his body to Terni before being martyred themselves; his skull is later honored in Kirdorf.
The three young men named above transported him secretly to the city of Terni , and for this ville de Terni Site of the historic meeting between Pope Zachary and Liutprand. deed, having been arrested by Licentius, they se Licentin Figure who ordered the arrest and execution of the disciples of Valentinus. aled with their blood the faith they had received from Valentin. The skull of Valentin, martyr, is preserved today in the city of Kir dorf and is hono ville de Kirdorf Location where the skull of Saint Valentine is preserved. red there by a great gathering of people.
Legend of the rodents of Jumièges
A late tradition reports that Saint Valentine delivered the Jumièges peninsula from an invasion of rats and field mice.
In the 21st century, when t he Jumièges peninsula presqu'île de Jumièges Abbey founded by Saint Philibert. was ravaged by field mice and rats, Saint Valentine, Bishop of Terni, was invoked, who drove all this vermin to the Seine: The route and the abyss where these rodents went to drown are still shown. One is called the path and the other the hole of the islands.
Documentary sources
The information is based on the Proper of Mainz and the work of Abbé Cochet on the Seine-Inférieure.
Annexes & related entities
Structured data for exploration: events, miracles, quotes, places, attributes, patronages, and important entities cited in the text.
Key Events
- Miraculous healing of the philosopher Craton's son
- Conversion of Craton and his family
- Conversion of three Athenian students and the prefect Abundius
- Refusal to sacrifice to idols before Judge Placidus
- Decapitation
Miracles
- Sudden healing of Craton's son through prayer
- Expulsion of field mice and rats towards the Seine at Jumièges