Secundus of Victimulum
Secundus von Victimulum , Secundus von Salussola or Secundus von Ventimiglia (* in the 3rd century in the Thebais (Egypt) ; † around 300 in Salussola ) was a Christian martyr in the last phase of the persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire .
Life and legend
The historical core of the Secundus veneration is the foundation of a church in his honor as early as the 4th century by Bishop Eusebius of Biella († 371). The Roman Victimulum , the place of this church, has been called San Secondo since the Middle Ages , today a district of Salussola in the province of Biella .
The legend tells that Secundus came from the province of Thebais and was an officer of the Theban Legion . As the first member of this legion, he had declared himself a Christian. He was given an ultimatum for revocation, which expired when the Legion arrived in Victimulum on their way to Gaul. There he was beheaded. His steadfastness had become a model for the whole legion and their later martyrdom.
Relics and worship
The relics arrived in the turmoil of the 8th and 9th century in the Benedictine Abbey of Novalesa . From there they took the monks with them on their flight from Saracen invasions to the Abbey of Sant'Andrea in Turin (today Santuario della Consolata ). The relics remained in Turin even after the return of the Benedictines, with the exception of the skull, which the Benedictines gave to Bishop Panteius of Ventimiglia .
The veneration of the Secundus took off when his intercession was attributed to the subsidence of plague epidemics in Ventimiglia (1579) and Turin (1630). He is patron saint of the city and diocese of Ventimiglia (altar in the north aisle of the cathedral) and secondary saint of Turin ( Capella di San Secondo in the cathedral ). In 2004 the diocese of Biella celebrated the feast day of St. Secundus, August 26th, was returned to the diocesan liturgical calendar.
St. Secundus is depicted as a young Roman soldier with a martyr's palm .
Web links
- San Secondo (santiebeati.it, Italian)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Secundus of Victimulum |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Secundus from Salussola; Secundus of Ventimiglia; San Secondo |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | early Christian martyr in northern Italy |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 3rd century |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Thebais (Egypt) |
| DATE OF DEATH | at 300 |
| Place of death | Salussola |