Agapitus of Palestrina

Infobox Saint
name=Saint Agapitus
birth_date=3rd century AD
death_date=c. 267 AD or 274 AD
feast_day=April 18; August 18
venerated_in=Roman Catholic Church
birth_place=Latium
death_place=Palestrina, Lazio, Italy
titles=Martyr
beatified_date=
beatified_place=
beatified_by=
canonized_date=Pre-Congregation
canonized_place=
canonized_by=
attributes=
patronage=Palestrina; invoked against colic [http://saints.sqpn.com/saintabe.htm Saint Agapitus] ]
major_shrine=Cathedral of San Agapito, Palestrina
suppressed_date=
issues=

Saint Agapitus ( _it. Agapito) is venerated as a Martyr saint. Agapitus may have been a member of the noble Anicia family of Palestrina. [http://www.santiebeati.it/dettaglio/92898 Sant' Agapito Martire] ] At the age of fifteen, he was beheaded on orders of the prefect Antiochus and the emperor Aurelian. The date of his death is sometimes given as August 18, 274.

His legend states that he was a young man condemned to death because he was a Christian, and was thrown to the wild animals in the local arena at Palestrina. His legend states that the beasts refused to harm him.

Veneration

St Agapitus is mentioned in the ancient martyrologies, including the "Martyrologium Hieronymianum" of Saint Jerome, the "Fulda Martyrology," and the "Roman Martyrology." Around the fifth century, a Basilica was built in his honor by Pope Felix III on the supposed place of his martyrdom. [Dom Gaspar LeFebvre, O.S.B., "Saint Andrew Daily Missal, with Vespers for Sundays and Feasts," St Paul, MN: E. M. Lohmann Co., 1952, p. 1516] His relics were conserved there, and a cemetery grew around the sepulcher that held Agapitus’ relics. His relics were translated to the present cathedral of Palestrina at an uncertain date. St Agapitus is remembered as a Commemoration during the Mass said within "the Octave of the Assumption" (see the General Roman Calendar as in 1954) or as a regular Commemoration (see the General Roman Calendar of 1962) ["Saint Andrew Daily Missal, with Vespers for Sundays and Feasts," p. 1516] [Rev. Bede Babo, O.S.B. et. al., "The Jesus, Mary and Joseph Daily Missal," New York: Benziger Brothers, Inc., 1962, p. 1041]

Some of his relics were transferred to Besançon.

References

External links

* [http://saints.sqpn.com/saintabe.htm "Saint Agapitus"]
* [http://www.santiebeati.it/dettaglio/92898 "Sant' Agapito"] it icon

Persondata
NAME=Agapitus of Palestrina
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Agapito, Agapitus the Martyr
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Teenage Christian martyr
DATE OF BIRTH=
PLACE OF BIRTH=
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=Palestrina