Saints Cantius, Cantianus, Cantianilla, and Protus

At that same time and in that same city of Aquileia, the most impious Dulcidius shared the office of president with his colleague Sisinnius. The iniquitous judges, learning that the saints of God, Cant , Canti Cantien Brother of Cantianus and Cantianilla, martyr at Aquileia. an , Prot Protus Eunuch and companion of Eugenia, martyr. us, and Cantianilla had come from Rome to this city, ordered the apparitors to seize their persons, to make them offer incense to the gods. The blessed Martyrs, lifting their eyes to heaven, replied: "We do not sacrifice to demons, for it is written: 'All the gods of the Gentiles are demons; but it is the Lord who made the heavens'; and again: 'Let those who make them become like them, and all those who trust in them.' Go then and tell your iniquitous president that we wish to die for the name of Christ rather than turn away from his commandments; for from the cradle we have confessed the Lord Jesus Christ." The satellites returned to the president and reported to him what had happened. Then the president Dulcidius and his colleague Sisinnius, stung by this refusal, wrote in these terms to the emperors Diocletian and Maximian: "Most pious emperors, come to the aid of the Roman laws, for which your victorious arm knows how to make the proud heads of enemies bow; lend your assistance to the all-powerful gods, who receive nothing but contempt from the Christians. We have just seen the arrival from the city of Rome of three germane brothers, who are known to be members of the family of the emperor Carinus, accompanied by their tutor Protus; they have conspired to resist our orders and to preach Christ, the very one whom the Jews crucified under Pontius Pilate, president of Judea, and in his name they perform many surprising wonders. It is for you to see what you must order." The execrable Diocletian and Maximian, seized with fury, rendered this sentence, that if they refused to sacrifice, they were to be put to death.

« When the sentence became known to the blessed Martyrs Cant, Cantian, and Cantianilla, they took a chariot and left the city with their tutor Protus, in order to hasten to the tomb of the holy martyr Chrysogonus, remembering this divine word: « Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world ». Now, on the previous night, the Lord had deigned to visit the blessed Martyrs, and had said to them: « Peace be with you. Hasten to go to my beloved Chrysogonus; for it is there that I have prepared your crowns, it is there that you must be crowned, to then go and rejoice without end in my kingdom with Chrysogonus. Do not be distressed, for it is written: If they persecute you in one city, flee to another; and whoever persecutes you, persecutes me myself ». In the morning, it was announced to the judges that the Saints of God had fled. Count Sisinnius, to execute the orders of the emperors, immediately set out in pursuit of them, accompanied by apparitors.

« The blessed Martyrs continued their journey hurriedly in their chariot. But, at a short distance from the city, one of the mules of the chariot suddenly fell at the place named « the Waters of Grado », the v ery place where S les Eaux de Grade Precise location of the martyrdom of Chrysogonus and the four saints. aint Chrysogonus had suffered martyrdom; so that what the prophet David had said by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit might be fulfilled: « Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! » and again: « The Lord has made a commandment, and it shall not be transgressed ». The holy Martyrs, finding themselves therefore at the place where the holy martyr Chrysogonus had suffered, knelt down and addressed this prayer to heaven: « Lord Jesus Christ, God almighty, send your holy angel to our aid, for the confusion of all those who worship idols. We pray to you, therefore, Lord, to deign to make us persevere in this holy vocation, for the glory and praise of your name, and to strengthen the hearts of those who believe in you; so that all those who honor idols may know that there is no other God but you alone, who have the angels as servants ». As they were praying thus, Count Sisinnius arrived with his apparitors, who immediately seized the holy Martyrs.

Sisinnius exhorted them to burn incense in honor of Jupiter. The blessed servants of God, filled with indignation, said that they would never sacrifice to demons, but only to God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is contained therein: for, they added, all idols and all those who revere them shall go together into eternal fire. The impious Sisinnius, irritated by this language, told his apparitors that if these men did not offer incense to Jupiter, they were to behead them. The blessed martyrs Cant, Cantian, and Cantianilla, with their tutor P rotus, havi Cantianilla Sister of Saints Cant and Cantian, martyr. ng refused to comply, were led further away. While going to the place of execution, they joyfully sang psalms. And after having given each other the kiss of peace, they knelt down, presented their heads to the sword, and thus received immortal crowns. But, O wonder! their blood appeared to the spectators like milk; traces of it are still seen to this day on the stone placed at the site of their martyrdom. At that same time, the venerable priest Zonus collected the bodies of these blessed Martyrs, embalmed t hem w Zonus Priest who buried the martyrs. ith precious aromatics, and placed them in a marble tomb near that of Saint Chrysogonus.

The blessed martyrs Cant, Cantian, and Cantianilla, with their tutor Protus, suffered martyrdom on the eve of the Kalends of June, at the twelfth milestone of the city of Aquileia, beyond the Isonzo river, at the place named the Waters of Grado.

The bodies of the four Martyrs remained near Aquileia for nearly seven hundred years. But King Robert, one of the most pious monarchs to have reigned in France, having bu ilt a c Étampes Primary site of translation and veneration of relics in France. hurch in honor of Our Lady in Étampes, insistently requested the precious bones of Saint Cant, Saint Cantien, and Saint Cantianilla; and, having obtained them, he donated them to this new church. We do not have the history of this ancient translation; but we have an act, dated April 12, 1621, by which it appears that these same bones were moved to a new box, and then replaced in their reliquary, which had been enriched with several new pieces of goldsmith work by Henri Clausse, then coadjutor, and later Bishop of Châlons. Two processions are held every year in their honor: one on this day, May 31, and the other on Easter Tuesday; all the clergy, the judiciary, and the people attend with great ceremony.

Pope Urban VIII opened the treasures of t he Church f Urbain VIII Pope who beatified Josaphat. or those who would visit their relics in Étampes on the days consecrated to their memory, and granted them great indulgences. A 17th-century poet wrote these verses regarding their martyrdom:

In 1793, the revolutionaries seized the reliquary where the "holy bodies" rested; but a portion of these precious relics was saved, and they remain the object of the greatest devotion. There is always an immense turnout for the processions of the "holy bodies." No mother in the region would deprive her child of this blessing, for it is especially toward young children that the patron saints of Étampes have manifested their power before God. (Information provided through the kindness of M. Bouvoisin, parish priest of Étampes.)

The history of the passion of these blessed Martyrs is attributed to Saint Ambrose , Bishop of Mi saint Ambroise Father of the Church cited for a maxim on strength. lan; furthermore, there is in his sermons a discourse in their honor, which is believed to be by Saint Maximus, Bishop of Turin. Bede, Ussard, Ado, Baronius, and du Saussay also speak of them in their martyrologies. Jean Chauffin provided their Life in a specific book, including everything these authors wrote about them; and Pierre Le Goudre composed a heroic poem in Latin titled: Cantics. — The translation we have provided here is that of the Benedictines.