Fructuosus

Infobox Saint
name=Saint Fructuosus of Tarragona
birth_date=unknown
death_date=259
feast_day=April 16 in the Roman Catholic Church and January 21 in the Church of England
venerated_in=Roman Catholic Church, Church of England


imagesize=200px
caption=Detail of a Romanesque mural of Saint Fructuosus at Bierge, Huesca
birth_place=
death_place=
titles=Bishop and Martyr
beatified_date=
beatified_place=
beatified_by=
canonized_date=
canonized_place=
canonized_by=
attributes=
patronage=
major_shrine=
suppressed_date=
issues=

Saint Fructuosus of Tarragona ( _ca. Sant Fructuós (died 259) was a bishop and Christian saint and martyr, the outstanding name in the early history of Christianity in Hispania. He was bishop of Tarragona and was arrested during the persecutions of Christians under the Roman Emperor Valerian (reigned 253 - 260). Along with him were two deacons, St. Augurius and St. Eulogius. In 259, he was questioned by the "praeses" Aemilianus and burned at the stake in the local amphitheatre in Tarragona. The "Acta" of the martyrdom of the bishop Fructuosus and his deacons Augurius and Eulogius document his legend; they are the earliest Hispanic "Acta", "marked by a realistic simplicity which contrasts very favourably with many of the Acta of Diocletian's persecution" (Wace).

Acta

The book documents the following details. St. Fructuosus, and his deacons were just going to bed when they were arrested. They were examined, at which point they affirmed their belief in the Christian God. They were then sentenced to be burnt. Officers were posted to prevent any sort of disturbance breaking out. They were not completely successful, though, and near the gate of the amphitheatre some of the Christians were able to get close to Fructuosus, and one of them asked him for his prayers. St. Fructuosus replied, in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear, "I am bound to bear in mind the whole universal Church from east to west." He then added some words of consolation and encouragement to the assembled. As the flames rose and enveloped the martyrs, they stretched out their arms, praying to their God until they died.

His "Acta" are referred to in a hymn by Prudentius and praised and extensively quoted by Augustine of Hippo. The historical list of the bishops of Tarragona, therefore, begins with Fructuosus.

St Fructuosus' feast day in the Roman Catholic Church is April 16 and January 21 in the Church of England.

References

*Attwater, Donald and Catherine Rachel John. "The Penguin Dictionary of Saints". 3rd edition. New York: Penguin Books, 1993. ISBN 0-140-51312-4.

External links

* [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06311b.htm Catholic Encyclopedia: "St. Fructuosus"]
* [http://www.saintpatrickdc.org/ss/0121.htm Precis of the "Acts of Fructuosus"]
* [http://www.ccel.org/ccel/wace/biodict.v.vi.xxv.html Henry Wace, "A Dictionary of Christian Biography and Literature": "Fructuosus"]
* [http://www.deacons.net/Deacons_before_us/augurius.html "Sts. Fructuosus, Augurius and Eulogius— A Bishop and His Two Deacons, Martyrs"] : excerpts of Prudentius' hymn