SS. SATURNINUS AND COMPANIONS, MM.
(A.D. 303.)
[Roman Martyrology. In the ancient African Church, as we learn from S. Augustine, their commemoration took place on Feb. 12th, and on that day they are given by Usuardus. The Acts are genuine. They were appealed to in the reign of Honorius, in 412, during the Donatist controversy to prove that even in the stress of persecution, Christians had not failed to attend Divine Service on the Lord's Day. S. Augustine also quotes them in his book against Cresconius, lib. iii. c. 17, 26, 27, and 29, written in 406. The Synodical Epistle of the Council of the Catholic Bishops held at Cirta which quotes these Acts, is included among the works of S. Augustine in the Benedictine Edition, numbered Ep. 141. It is dated the 14th June, 412.]
THE persecution of Diocletian having broken out in Africa, the magistrates of Abitina broke, one Sunday, into the house of a citizen, Octavius Felix, during the celebration of the Divine Mysteries, and took the priest Saturninus, his four children, and forty-four other Christians who were assisting at the Holy Sacrifice. The two elder sons of the priest, Saturninus and Felix, were both lectors; Mary, his daughter, had consecrated her virginity to God; Hilarion, the youngest, was still quite a child. Among the other prisoners were Dativus, a noble senator, Ampelius, Rogatianus, Januarius, Cassian, Victorian, in all thirty men, and nineteen women.
Dativus marched at the head of the troop which surrounded Saturninus, standing as children about their father.
When brought before the magistrates, they confessed Christ so resolutely, that their very judges applauded their courage.
The confessors were shackled and sent to Carthage, the residence of the pro-consul. They rejoiced to see themselves in chains for Christ, and sang hymns and canticles during their whole journey to Carthage, praising and thanking God. The pro-consul, Anulinus, addressing himself first to Dativus, asked him of what condition he was, and if he had assisted at the collect or assembly of the Christians. He answered that he was a Christian, and had been present at it. The pro-consul bade him declare who presided, and in whose house those religious assemblies were held: but without waiting for his answer, commanded him to be put on the rack and torn with iron hooks, to force the information from him. The martyrs underwent severally the tortures of the rack, iron hooks, and cudgels. Felix was asked if he had been at the collect or assembly[32] on the Lord's day. Felix answered, "I am a Christian." "I did not ask that," said the magistrate, "but whether you had been at the collect." "Oh, foolish judge!" cried Felix, "Could I be a Christian and not be present? As if the Lord's day gathering should be without the Christian, and the Christian without the Lord's day gathering. Knowest thou not that the one was made for the other, and the one cannot be without the other?" Then he was savagely beaten and sent to prison. The weaker sex fought no less gloriously, particularly the illustrious Victoria; who, having been converted to Christ in her tender years, had signified a desire to lead a single life, but to this her pagan parents would not agree having promised her in marriage to a rich young nobleman. Victoria, on the day appointed for the wedding, full of confidence in the protection of Him whom she had chosen for the only spouse of her soul, leaped out of a window, and took refuge in a Christian church, where she consecrated her virginity to God, with the ceremonies then used on such occasions at Carthage, in Italy, Gaul, and all over the West.[33] To the crown of virginity she earnestly desired to join that of martyrdom. The pro-consul, on account of her quality, and for the sake of her brother, a Pagan, tried all means to prevail with her to renounce her faith. He inquired what was her religion. Her answer was, "I am a Christian." Her brother, Fortunatianus, undertook her defence, and endeavoured to prove her lunatic. The saint, fearing his plea might be the means of her losing the crown of martyrdom, made it appear by her intelligent answers that she was in her perfect senses, and she protested that she had not been brought to Christianity against her will. The pro-consul asked her if she would return with her brother. She replied, "Being a Christian, I acknowledge none as brethren but those who keep the law of God." The pro-consul then laid aside the quality of judge to become her suppliant, and entreated her not to throw away her life. But she rejected his entreaties with disdain, and said to him, "I have already told you my mind. I am a Christian, and I assisted at the holy assembly." Anulinus, provoked at this constancy, ordered her to prison with the rest, to wait the sentence of death which he not long after pronounced upon them all.
However, he made an effort to gain the little boy, Hilarion, not doubting that he would easily prevail with one of his tender age. But the child showed more contempt than fear of the tyrant's threats, and answered his interrogatories, "I am a Christian: I have been at the collect,[34] and it was of my own voluntary choice, without any compulsion." The pro-consul threatened him with those little punishments with which children are accustomed to be chastised, little knowing that God himself fights in his martyrs. The child only laughed at him. The governor then said to him, "I will cut off your nose and ears." Hilarion replied, "You may do it; but I am a Christian still." Then the governor ordered the child to be taken to the prison with the rest, and Hilarion, with his shrill voice cried, "God be thanked!"—and so was led away.
At this point these interesting Acts break off abruptly, but a fragment which has been tampered with by some Donatist hand has, at the end, this passage, which has been lost from the genuine Acts:—"These blessed martyrs, being deprived of all nourishment for their bodies, one by one, and by degrees, sank, overcome with hunger, and migrated to the heavenly kingdom with the victor's palm, our Lord Jesus Christ sustaining them, who, with the Father, reigns through ages of ages. Amen."