dimanche 19 janvier 2014

Saint HENRI d'UPPSALA, évêque et martyr, saint patron de la FINLANDE

Sant'Enrico di Uppsala

Henri d'Uppsala marchant sur son meurtrier Lalli, circa 1450

Bishop Henry of Finland as depicted in a painting in the church of Taivassalo, Finland in about 1450

Piispa Henrik Taivassalon kirkon maalauksessa noin vuodelta 1450


Saint Henri

Martyr et patron de la Finlande (+ v. 1157)

D'origine anglaise, il accompagna Nicolas Breakspear, le futur pape Adrien IV, en Suède où il fut évêque d'Uppsala en 1152. Soutenu par le roi saint Eric IX, il l'accompagna en Finlande où il fut tué à Abo-Turku, par un opposant à la réforme qu'il entreprenait dans cette Eglise. Il fut canonisé en 1158 par la voix populaire. Considéré comme un martyr, il est patron de la Finlande et son nom est inscrit au martyrologe romain. 

Henry ou Eric. 

Il était anglais de naissance, comme bien des évangélisateurs de la Scandinavie. Il fut d'abord apôtre en Norvège, puis en Suède où il fut sacré évêque d'Uppsala par Nicolas Breakspeare, son compatriote, qui deviendra Pape sous le nom d'Adrien IV. Il alla porter la lumière de la foi en Finlande et, au sortir de sa messe, à Turku, il fut assassiné.

En Finlande, vers 1157, saint Henry, évêque et martyr. Né en Angleterre, il dirigea l’Église d’Uppsala et employa le plus grand zèle à annoncer l’Évangile aux Finnois. Il fut enfin mis à mort par un meurtrier qu’il s’était efforcé de redresser selon la discipline de l’Église.

Martyrologe romain

SOURCE : http://nominis.cef.fr/contenus/saint/5243/Saint-Henri.html

Saint Henri (+ 1157)

D’origine anglaise, il accompagna Nicolas Breakspear, le futur pape Adrien IV, en Suède où il fut évêque d’Uppsala en 1152. Soutenu par le roi saint Eric IX, il l’accompagna en Finlande où il fut tué à Abo-Turku, par un opposant à la réforme qu’il entreprenait dans cette Eglise. Il fut canonisé en 1158 par la voix populaire. Considéré comme un martyr, il est patron de la Finlande et son nom est inscrit au martyrologe romain.

"Dans la mesure où l’on accueille l’amour de Dieu dans le fond de son âme, dans cette mesure on a l’amour de Dieu. C’est pourquoi désormais un tel homme vit dans une ardente passion pour l’illumination de la connaissance jusqu’à ce qu’il goûte une grande plénitude intérieure. Alors, il ne se connaît plus lui-même, il est entièrement transformé par l’amour de Dieu."

(Diadoque de Photicé – Au livre des heures de ce jour)

SOURCE : http://www.eglise.catholique.fr/actualites-et-evenements/agenda/saint-du-jour.html

Sant'Enrico di Uppsala

L'évêque Henri entouré de ses successeurs comme le montre la Missale Aboense, 1488

St. Henry of Uppsala, bishop and martyr, standing on top of his assassin Lalli, with Bishop de:Konrad Bitz, who commissioned the Missale Aboense, and Dean Magnus Stiernkors kneeling at his side. Also shown is the printer's mark of de:Bartholomäus Ghotan, 1488

Suomi: Piispa Henrik ja Lalli, 1488


Saint Henry of Uppsala

Also known as

Henry of Finland

Henry of Sweden

Heikki of….

Henrik of….

Memorial

20 January

18 June (translation of his relics)

Profile

While working in RomeItaly, Henry was sent to evangelize Scandinaviatravelling with papal legate Cardinal Nicholas Breakspear, the future Pope Adrian IVBishop of Uppsala in 1148Evangelized Sweden and Norway. Friend of King Saint Eric of Sweden, and accompanied him into battle with Finnish pirates in 1154. Eric offered friendship and Christianity to the Finns; they chose war, but lost to the Swedes. Henry then evangelized in Finland. Built a church at Nousis, Finland which became his headquarters. Martyred by a Finnish soldier named Lalli whom he had just excommunicated for murdering a Swedish soldier. Legend says that Lalli had a long life – continually tormented by mice as a penance for his attack.

Born

English

Died

struck with an axe c.1156 at Nousis, Finland

buried at Nousis

miracles reported at his tomb

relics translated to Torku on 18 June 1300

relics stolen by Russian troops in 1720

Canonized

1158 by Pope Adrian IV

Patronage

against storms

Finland (proclaimed on 24 February 1961 by Pope John XXIII)

UppsalaSweden

Representation

bishop being murdered at Mass with young King Saint Eric

bishop being murdered by a man wielding an axe

trampling on Lalli

Additional Information

Book of Saints, by the Monks of Ramsgate

Lives of the Saints, by Father Alban Butler

Saints of the Day, by Katherine Rabenstein

books

Our Sunday Visitor’s Encyclopedia of Saints

Oxford Dictionary of Saints, by David Hugh Farmer

Saints and Their Attributes, by Helen Roeder

other sites in english

1001 Patron Saints and Their Feast Days, Australian Catholic Truth Society

Catholic Online

Catholic Online

Catholic Online

Catholic Online

uCatholic

images

Santi e Beati

Wikimedia Commons

sitios en español

Martirologio Romano2001 edición

fonti in italiano

Cathopedia

Martirologio Romano2005 edition

Santi e Beati

websites in nederlandse

Heiligen 3s

spletne strani v slovenšcini

Svetniki

MLA Citation

‘Saint Henry of Uppsala‘. CatholicSaints.Info. 29 February 2024. Web. 24 February 2026. <https://catholicsaints.info/saint-henry-of-uppsala/>

SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/saint-henry-of-uppsala/

Sant'Enrico di Uppsala

Henri sur le sceau de l'évêque Bénédicte de Turku en 1332.

Henry, Bishop of Uppsala pictured in the seal of Bishop Benedictus of Finland from 1332 19/4. Image from book Finlands medeltidssigill, Reinhold Hausen, Helsinfors 1900

Piispa Henrik kuvattuna Turun piispa Benedictuksen sinetissä vuodelta 1332.


Book of Saints – Henry of Upsala

Article

(Saint) Bishop, Martyr (January 19) (12th century) An Englishman, a missionary to Sweden, where he worked under the protection of the holy King Saint Eric, and became Bishop of Upsala. His zeal in correcting a miscreant led to his being struck down somewhere in Finland by the dagger of an assassin (A.D. 1150), and to his being honoured as a Martyr.

MLA Citation

Monks of Ramsgate. “Henry of Upsala”. Book of Saints1921. CatholicSaints.Info. 2 September 2013. Web. 24 February 2026. <https://catholicsaints.info/book-of-saints-henry-of-upsala/>

SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/book-of-saints-henry-of-upsala/

St. Henry of Uppsala

Feastday: January 19

Patron: of the Catholic Cathedral of Helsinki

Death: 1156

Bishop and patron saint of Finland. Henry was an Englishman who accompanied Cardinal Nicholas Breakspear to Sweden and Norway in 1151. There he was made the bishop of Uppsala, Sweden. He accompanied King St. Eric of Sweden on a military campaign to Finland, never leaving that land again. Henry was murdered in Finland by an excommunicate named Lalli. He was never formally canonized.

SOURCE : https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=3721

St. Henry of Sweden

Feastday: January 19

Henry was an Englishman of the twelfth century residing at Rome. In 1152, he was consecrated Bishop of Uppsala, Sweden, by the Papal Legate Nicholas Breakspear, who later became Pope Adrian IV. In 1154, St. Eric, King of Sweden, led a punitive expedition against the Finns in retaliation for their marauding activity into Sweden, and Henry accompanied him. Eric offered peace and the Christian Faith to the people of Finland, but they refused. A battle ensued and the Swedes won.  Henry baptized the defeated people in the Spring of Kuppis near Turku. When Eric returned to Sweden, Henry remained behind, working to convert more of the Finns. To this end he built a church at Nousis, which became his headquarters. In time, Henry met a violent death on account of his love of God. A converted Finnish soldier named Lalli had murdered a Swedish soldier. After careful consideration of the facts and assiduous prayer, Henry imposed the penalty of excommunication on the murderer. Lalli became enraged and slew the saintly bishop with an ax. Henry was buried at Nousis, and miracles were reported at his tomb.

SOURCE : https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=660

St. Henry of Uppsala

Feastday: January 19

Patron: saint of Finland

Death: 1156

Henry was an Englishman living in Rome. He accompanied the papal legate, Nicholas Cardinal Breakspear to Scandinavia in 1151 and was consecrated bishop of Uppsala, Sweden, the next year by the cardinal. Henry was with King Eric of Sweden in the latter's invasion of Finland to punish Finnish pirates and remained behind when Eric returned to Sweden. Henry was murdered by a convert named Lalli, on whom he had imposed a penance for a murder he had committed. Henry is considered the patron saint of Finland, though he does not appear to have ever been formally canonized.

SOURCE : https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=817

St. Henry

Feastday: January 19

Patron: of the Catholic Cathedral of Helsinki

Death: 1156

The Englishman Henry was consecrated bishop of Uppsala, Sweden in 1152. When Sweden’s king, Saint Eric, embarked upon a crusade against the pagan pirates of Finland, Henry accompanied him. Eric was victorious, and Henry remained in Finland to exercise his zeal for the conversion of the Finns to Christianity. A convert who resented a penance that Henry imposed upon him after the convert had committed murder turned his wrath upon the bishop himself, slaughtering him. Henry has been venerated as the patron saint of Finland, where from 1300 until 1720 his body rested in the cathedral of Turku.

SOURCE : https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=5694

St. Henry of Uppsala

St. Henry of Uppsala, the Patron of Finland, was an Englishman of the twelfth century residing at Rome. In 1152, he was consecrated Bishop of Uppsala, Sweden, by the Papal Legate Nicholas Breakspear, who later became Pope Adrian IV.

In 1154, St. Eric, King of Sweden, led a punitive expedition against the Finns in retaliation for their marauding activity into Sweden, and Henry accompanied him. Eric offered peace and the Christian Faith to the people of Finland, but they refused. A battle ensued and the Swedes won.  Henry baptized the defeated people in the Spring of Kuppis near Turku. When Eric returned to Sweden, Henry remained behind, working to convert more of the Finns.

To this end he built a church at Nousis, which became his headquarters. In time, Henry met a violent death on account of his love of God. A converted Finnish soldier named Lalli had murdered a Swedish soldier. After careful consideration of the facts and assiduous prayer, Henry imposed the penalty of excommunication on the murderer. Lalli became enraged and slew the saintly bishop with an ax. Henry was buried at Nousis, and miracles were reported at his tomb.

SOURCE : http://www.ucatholic.com/saints/saint-henry-of-uppsala/

Sant'Enrico di Uppsala

R. W. EkmanSaint Henri baptisant les Finnois durant le printemps de Kuppis, 1850, Cathédrale de Turku.

Bishop Henry baptizes the Finns at the spring of Kuppis, close to Turku. Painting by Robert Wilhelm Ekman (1808–1873), also made in large format in the cathedral of Turku in 1850-54, depicts pagans in decorative folk costumes and a very pious king, over whose head massed standards with a Swedish coat of arms fly.

Biskop Henrik döper finnarna vid Kuppis källa invid Åbo. Målning av R. W. Ekman, även utförd i Åbo domkyrka åren 1850-1854, visar hedningar i dekorativa foldräkter samt en mycket from kung, över vars huvud en fanborg med ett svenskt riksvapen vajar.


Henry of Uppsala BM (RM)

(also known as Henry of Finland)

Born in England; died in Finland c. 1156; canonized in 1158; feast of the translation of his relics to Abo, June 18. Saint Henry, an Englishman living in Rome, became an apostle to Scandinavia. He accompanied the papal legate, Nicholas Cardinal Breakspear (later Pope Adrian IV), to Scandinavia in 1151 and was consecrated bishop of Uppsala, Sweden, the following year by the cardinal at the council of Linköping.

Henry was with King Saint Eric of Sweden during the latter's crusade into Finland, in 1154, to punish to Finnish pirates who repeatedly invaded Sweden. Eric offered peace and the Christian faith, both of which were refused by the Finns. In the ensuing battle, Eric prevailed. Thereafter, Henry baptized the defeated Finns in the spring of Kuppis near Abo.

When Eric returned home, Henry remained in Turku to continue his efforts at evangelization. Unfortunately, he was less tactful than zealous, and the warlike circumstances under which he arrived in Finland were not a good recommendation for Christianity. Nevertheless, Henry built a church at Nousis and made it his headquarters. After a few years, Henry was martyred on Kirkkosaari in Lake Kjulo with an axe by an angry convert named Lalli, upon whom Henry had imposed a heavy penance, including excommunication, for the murder of a Swedish soldier. Soon after his burial in Nousis, miracles began to occur. The union of Finland and Sweden wrought by Henry and Eric lasted much longer than they did--until the 14th century.

On June 18, 1300, Henry's relics were translated to Abo cathedral, and, in 1370, a magnificent Flemish sepulchral brass was placed on his original tomb. This brass, which depicts Henry's life, death, and miracles, still exists. Henry's cultus spread to Sweden, where Uppsala cathedral has a cycle of murals devoted to him. An English chapel in the Carmelite church in Great Yarmouth is also dedicated to him. The Russians took the relics from Abo in 1720 (Attwater, Benedictines, Delaney, Encyclopedia, Farmer, Gill).

In Sweden, Saint Henry is generally portrayed in art as a bishop being murdered at Mass together with young King Eric, patron saint of Sweden (Roeder). In medieval churches in Finland, Henry is depicted trampling on Lalli--Finland's primary contribution to iconography. He is also included in Niccolo Circignani's series of paintings of English martyrs completed in 1582 for the English College in Rome. Henry is considered the patron saint of Finland and is especially invoked by the local seal-fishermen during storms (Farmer).

SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/saints-of-the-day-henry-of-uppsala/

Sant'Enrico di Uppsala

Lalli tuant Henri d'Uppsala.

Anders Ekman (1833–1855), The murder of St. Henry by Lalli, 1854

R.W. Ekman, 1854, Lalli tappaa reellä ajavan piispa Henrikin.-

https://www.narvasoft.fi/kalevanpojat/sources/kultainenlegenda.html


St. Henry of Uppsala

Feast: January 19

Henry was an Englishman living in Rome. He accompanied the papal legate, Cardinal Breakspear (later Pope Adrian IV) to Scandinavia in 1151 and was consecrated bishop of Uppsala, Sweden, the next year by the cardinal. During the reign of Saint Erik, King of Sweden, he was a missionary bishop for the Baltic area, living in Uppsala, Sweden, and working energetically for the establishment of the Christian faith. He took part in a crusade to Finland, organised by the king in 1155. When the king had returned home with his troops, Bishop Henry remained in Finland to continue organising ecclesiastical life. St. Henry was the first bishop of Finland. He died a martyr's death the winter after the crusade (on 19 or 20 January in 1156). A peasant named Lalli, who had been excommunicated for manslaughter, killed Henry on the ice of Lake Köyliö. Bishop Henry was first buried in the village church of Nousiainen but on 18 June, 1300, his earthly remains were transferred to the cathedral of Turku. On a small man-made island at the place where Saint Henry was killed, a memorial chapel was built, apparently in the 14th century. The chapel eventually fell into ruin and all that remains of it now are some scattered stones and timber. The island became a popular place of pilgrimage during the Middle Ages, and to this day Finnish Catholics gather there annually on a Sunday in mid-June to venerate the memory of St. Henry and to thank God for the grace he has shown to Finland and the Finns through the saint and his successors. No documents have been preserved of the canonisation of Bishop Henry. The first document in which he is referred to as "saint" is a letter of Pope Boniface VIII from the year 1296. St. Henry became the patron of the Cathedral of Turku and later the patron of the church and nation of Finland.

SOURCE : http://medjugorjelive.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=23365


January 19

St. Henry, Archbishop of Upsal, Martyr

HE was an Englishman, and preached the faith in the North with his countryman, Cardinal Nicholas Breakspear, the apostle of Norway, and legate of the holy see, afterwards Pope Adrian IV. by whom he was raised to this see, in 1148. St. Eric, or Henry, (for it is the same name,) was then the holy king of Sweden. 1 Our saint, after having converted several provinces, went to preach in Finland, which that king had lately conquered. He deserved to be styled the apostle of that country, but fell a martyr in it, being stoned to death at the instigation of a barbarous murderer, whom he endeavoured to reclaim by censures, in 1151. His tomb was in great veneration at Upsal, till his ashes were scattered on the change of religion, in the sixteenth century. See John Magnus, l. 1, Vit. Pont. Upsal. Olaus Magnus, l. 4. Bollandus, and chiefly his life published by Benzelius. Monum. Suec. p. 33.

Note 1. Stiernman, in his discourse ‘on the State of Learning among the Ancient Swedes,’ observes, that Sweden was chiefly converted to Christianity by English Saxon missionaries. The principal among these were Ansgar; Sigfrid, Roduard, Richolf, Edward, Eskil, David, and Henric, as he gives their names.

In the history of the bishops and archbishops of Upsal, published by Benzelius in his Monum. Suec. p. 37, the first whose name is recorded is Everin, whom Benzelius supposes to be the person whom St. Sigfrid consecrated to this see. He seems to have been one of his English colleagues. Stephen, the sixth bishop of Upsal, was the first archbishop. See the life of St. Sigfrid, and Benzelius’s notes on the catalogue of the bishops of Upsal, p. 186. [back]

Rev. Alban Butler (1711–73). Volume I: January. The Lives of the Saints. 1866.

SOURCE : https://www.bartleby.com/lit-hub/lives-of-the-saints/volume-i-january/st-henry-archbishop-of-upsal-martyr

Sant' Enrico di Uppsala Vescovo e martire

20 gennaio

Inghilterra - XII secolo - Finlandia

Martirologio Romano: In Finlandia, sant’Enrico, vescovo e martire, che, nato in Inghilterra, ebbe l’incarico di reggere la Chiesa di Uppsala, adoperandosi con grande zelo nell’evangelizzazione dei Finni; fu, infine, crudelmente trucidato da un omicida, che egli aveva cercato di correggere secondo la disciplina ecclesiastica. 

Sant’Enrico visse nel XII secolo e divenne apostolo della Finlandia. Originario dell’Inghilterra, operò in Svezia lottando contro il paganesimo anche se purtroppo non sappiamo di preciso quando giunse in Scandinavia. Verso la metà del XII secolo compare quale vescovo di Uppsala, ove secondo la tradizione locale avrebbe innaugurato la nuova cattedrale edificata da Sant’Erick IX, re di Svezia. In seguito accompagnò il sovrano in una crociata volta alla cristianizzazione della Finlandia e si fermò nella regione per continuare l’opera intrapresa. Vinti i capi locali, li battezzò forzataemente alla fonte di Kuppis, nei pressi di Abo. Poche notizie sono comunque state tramandate circa la sua attività missionaria: secondo la tradizione sarebbe giunto sino al villaggio di Ylistaro, nella contrada di Kumo, ove ancora oggi sopravvivono le rovine della casa in cui il santo vescovo avrebbe predicato.

Enrico trovò la morte nel primo inverno dal suo arrivo in Finlandia per mano di un indigeno di nome Lalli, cui egli aveva imposto penitenza per un precedente omicidio. L’omicidio avvenne nella palude di Kjulo e secondo le leggende Lalli avrebbe anche staccato il pollice del vescovo al quale era infilato l’anello pastorale sulla cui pietra era inciso il suo sigillo. In primavera il dito con l’anello ancora infilato fu rinvenuto su un pezzo di ghiaccio galleggiante ed un cieco riacquistò immediatamente la vista stroppiciandosi gli occhi con la reliquia. Il capitolo del duomo di Abo, in Finlandia, assunse e conserva ancora oggi quale suo sigillo particolare l’immagine del dito con l’anello.

Enrico avrebbe predetto per tempo la sua morte e diede disposizione ai suoi compagni che il suo cadavere fosse attaccato ad un paio di buoi e ove questi lo avrebbero casualmente trascinato fosse sepolto e venisse eretta una chiesa. Così avvenne presso Nouis, ma in seguito i suoi resti furono racchiusi in un prezioso reliquiario e traslati nel nuovo duomo di Abo. Durante l’occupazione russa della Finlandia, lo zar Pietro I nel 1720 fece spedire in Russia il reliquiario e da allora scomparve. La sua tomba originaria nella chiesa di Nouis continuò comunque ad essere considerata un luogo sacro, tanto che dopo secoli vi fu eretto un monumento recante l’immagine del santo ed alcune scene della sua vita.

Ufficialmente pare che Enrico di Uppsala non sia mai stato canonizzato, ma abitualmente al suo nome da tempo immemorabile venne anteposto l’attributo di “santo”. Invocato quale particolare protettore della Finlandia, gli furono dedicate le feste del 20 gennaio e del 18 giugno ed in molte chiese finlandesi e svedesi era posta la sua effige. Oggi la cristianità Finlandia è difisa fra cattolicesimo, luteranesimo ed ortodossia, ma ormai da tempo è iniziata una consuetudine secondo cui ogni anno il 20 gennaio, festa che cade provvidenzialmente durante la Settimana di Preghiera per l’Unità dei Cristiani, una delegazione ecumenica dalla Finlandia si reca in visita dal Vescovo di Roma.

Autore: Fabio Arduino

SOURCE : http://www.santiebeati.it/Detailed/38360.html


Henry (ook Henrik) van Uppsala, Köyliö, Finland; bisschop & martelaar; † ca 1156.

Feest 19 & 20 (Finland) januari & 18 juni (overbrenging relieken) & 13 december.

Hij was van Engelse afkomst en begeleidde Nicholas Breakspear, de toekomstige paus Adrianus iv († 1159), op diens missiereis naar de Scandinavische landen. In 1152 werd Henry bisschop van de Zweedse stad Uppsala. Daarbij ondervond hij de steun van de heilige koning Erik IX († 1160; feest 18 mei).

Op een van zijn reizen door Finland werd hij gedood door een man die hij zojuist uit de geloofsgemeenschap had gebannen. Sindsdien wordt hij vereerd als martelaar.

Verering & Cultuur

Zijn graf bevindt zich in Nousis (nu: Masku); er zijn ook relieken van hem in de dom van het nabijgelegen Turku. Hij wordt vereerd als 'de Apostel van Finland'.
Hij werd heilig verklaard in 1158.

Patronaten

Hij is patroon van Finland.

Afgebeeld

Hij wordt afgebeeld als bisschop (mijter, staf en tabberd); met een raaf, die ervoor zorgde dat men zijn lijk vond; met bijl (martelwerktuig).

Bronnen

[101; 101a; 102; 106; 107; 115; 122; 142jr1151; 500; Dries van den Akker s.j./2010.02.27]

© A. van den Akker s.j. / A.W. Gerritsen

SOURCE : https://heiligen-3s.nl/heiligen/01/19/01-19-1156-henry.php

samedi 18 janvier 2014

Saintes ARCHÉLAÉ, THÈCLE ET SUZANNE, vierges et martyres

Francesco Solimena, Sante Tecla, Archeleao e Susanna condotte al martirio, 1680 ca, 51,6 x 62,5. Solimena's somewhat simplified fresco of the present composition with a number of variations to the poses of several figures, such as the angle of horse's head, for example, is in the Chiesa di San Giorgio, Salerno. A bozzetto of the composition was recorded in the Corradini Collection in Naples in 1958 (see: F. Bologna, Francesco Solimena, Naples, 1958, p. 274) and there are two further small oils on canvas of the subject by Solimena which are published in the catalogue of the exhibition, L'idea del Barocco a Napoli. "Macchie" e disegni di Luca Giordano, Francesco Solimena e seguaci (1670-1790), curated by Enrico De Nicola at the Galleria Civica d'Arte, Cava de' Tirreni, 6 December 2014 - 18 January 2015, Cava de' Tirreni 2014, pp. 20-33, 86-87. (https://www.bonhams.com/auction/23328/lot/6/francesco-solimena-canale-di-serino-1657-1747-barra-di-napoli-saints-tecla-archelaa-and-susanna-being-taken-to-their-martyrdom/)


Saintes Archélaé, Thècle et Suzanne

Martyres à Salerne (+ v. 293)

Vierges chrétiennes de La Romagna qui pour échapper à la mort se réfugièrent à Nola en Campanie. Accusées d'être chrétiennes, elles furent condamnées, torturées et décapitées à Salerne sous le règne de Dioclétien.

Francesco Solimena est un peintre italien (Canale di Serino 1657  – Barra [Naples] 1747). Vers 1680, il peint des fresques avec des scènes de la vie des saintes Thècle, Archelaa et Suzanne dans l'église S. Giorgio à Salerne. (source: Larousse)

SOURCE : http://nominis.cef.fr/contenus/saint/10653/Saintes-Archelae--Thecle-et-Suzanne.html

Saint Archelais the Martyr

Memorial

18 January

Profile

Young girl who fled to NolaItaly to escape persecutionArrested there for her faith, she was taken to SalernoItalytortured and martyred with Saint Thecla and Saint Susanna.

Born

at Romagna, Italy

Died

beheaded in 293 at SalernoItaly

Canonized

Pre-Congregation

Additional Information

Book of Saints, by the Monks of Ramsgate

Saints of the Day, by Katherine Rabenstein

books

Our Sunday Visitor’s Encyclopedia of Saints

other sites in english

Catholic Online

Orthodox Church in America

uCatholic

fonti in italiano

Santi e Beati

MLA Citation

“Saint Archelais the Martyr“. CatholicSaints.Info. 23 September 2021. Web. 10 August 2024. <https://catholicsaints.info/saint-archelais-the-martyr/>

SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/saint-archelais-the-martyr/

Saint Thecla the Martyr

Memorial

18 January

Profile

Young girl who fled to NolaItaly, to escape persecutionArrested there for her faith, she was taken to Salernotortured and martyred with Saint Archelais and Saint Susanna.

Born

at Romagna, Italy

Died

beheaded in 293 at SalernoItaly

Canonized

Pre-Congregation

Additional Information

Book of Saints, by the Monks of Ramsgate

Saints of the Day, by Katherine Rabenstein

books

Our Sunday Visitor’s Encyclopedia of Saints

other sites in english

Catholic Online

uCatholic

fonti in italiano

Santi e Beati

MLA Citation

“Saint Thecla the Martyr“. CatholicSaints.Info. 23 September 2021. Web. 10 August 2024. <https://catholicsaints.info/saint-thecla-the-martyr/>

SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/saint-thecla-the-martyr/

Saint Susanna the Martyr

Memorial

18 January

Profile

Young girl who fled to NolaItaly to escape persecutionArrested there for her faith, she was taken to SalernoItalytortured and martyred with Saint Thecla and Saint Archelais.

Born

at Romagna, Italy

Died

beheaded in 293 at SalernoItaly

Name Meaning

lily (Susanna)

Canonized

Pre-Congregation

Additional Information

Book of Saints, by the Monks of Ramsgate

Saints of the Day, by Katherine Rabenstein

books

Our Sunday Visitor’s Encyclopedia of Saints

other sites in english

Catholic Online

uCatholic

fonti in italiano

Santi e Beati

MLA Citation

“Saint Susanna the Martyr“. CatholicSaints.Info. 23 September 2021. Web. 10 August 2024. <https://catholicsaints.info/saint-susanna-the-martyr/>

SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/saint-susanna-the-martyr/

Book of Saints – Archelaa and Others

Article

ARCHELAA and OTHERS (Saints) Virgin Martyrs (January 18) (3rd century) Three Christian maidens put to the torture and afterwards beheaded at Nola in the south of Italy (A.D. 285), at the very beginning of the reign of Diocletian, and, it would appear, without his express sanction, but in virtue of the persecuting edicts of former Emperors.

MLA Citation

Monks of Ramsgate. “Archelaa and Others”. Book of Saints1921. CatholicSaints.Info. 26 July 2012. Web. 10 August 2024. <http://catholicsaints.info/book-of-saints-archelaa-and-others/>

SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/book-of-saints-archelaa-and-others/

Saints of the Day – Archelais, Thecla and Susanna, Martyrs

Article

Died 293. Three Christian maidens of Romagna who fled to Nola in the Campagna to escape persecution. Nevertheless, they were charged with their faith, tortured, and beheaded in Salerno (Benedictines).

MLA Citation

Katherine I Rabenstein. Saints of the Day1998. CatholicSaints.Info. 23 September 2021. Web. 10 August 2024. <https://catholicsaints.info/saints-of-the-day-archelais-thecla-and-susanna-martyrs/>

SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/saints-of-the-day-archelais-thecla-and-susanna-martyrs/

St. Archelais and Companions

Feastday: January 18

Death: 293

Martyr with Thecla and Susanna. They were virgins of the Romagna region of Italy who traveled to Nola, in Campania, because of the persecutions. In Nola, they were arrested and taken to Salerno. All three were cruelly tortured and slain.

SOURCE : https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=1521

Catholic Saint of the Day

Saint Archelais, Saint Susanna, & Saint Thecla

By uCatholic

January 18, 2024

In the third century, amidst the fervent persecutions of Diocletian, three devout Christian virgins, Saint Archelais, Saint Thecla, and Saint Susanna, hailed from Italy’s Romagna region. In defiance of the era’s brutal oppression, they adopted an audacious disguise, donning men’s attire, cropping their hair short, and embarking on a pilgrimage to Campagna, a province in Italy. There, secluded from the world’s tumult, they devoted themselves to a life of rigorous asceticism, marked by steadfast prayer and fasting. Their piety was rewarded with divine grace, bestowing upon them the miraculous ability to heal. Through their compassionate ministrations, they not only tended to the ailing locals but also illuminated the path of faith for many pagans, guiding them towards the light of Christ.

Word of their extraordinary healings eventually reached the district’s governor, prompting him to summon these virtuous women to Salerno. Upon their arrival, St. Archelais was presented with a dire ultimatum: renounce her faith and worship lifeless idols or face the horrors of torture and death. Unshaken, St. Archelais boldly rejected the governor’s demands, deriding the absurdity of idolatry. Enraged, the governor decreed that she be devoured by ravenous lions. However, the anticipated savagery never ensued; instead, the ferocious beasts, subdued by a divine presence, humbly laid at her feet. Infuriated by this defiance of his will, the governor ordered the lions slain and imprisoned the holy maidens.

The following day, a more gruesome torment awaited St. Archelais. Bound to a tree, she endured the excruciating pain of her flesh being torn by iron implements and seared by scalding tar. Amidst her agony, her prayers rose fervently, invoking a celestial light that enveloped her and a divine voice that reassured, “Fear not, for I am with you.”

Miraculously safeguarded by divine intervention, St. Archelais remained unscathed when an immense stone, intended to crush her, was divinely redirected, annihilating her tormentors instead. Faced with this heavenly defiance, a judge commanded the execution of the saintly trio. Yet, even the soldiers, awestruck by the palpable sanctity that enveloped these women, hesitated to raise their swords. It was only after the saints themselves admonished the soldiers, insisting on the fulfillment of the decree to preserve their honor, that the soldiers, reluctantly and with profound reverence, carried out the ultimate sacrifice. Thus, in 293, Saints Archelais, Thekla, and Susanna embraced martyrdom, their legacy etched forever in the annals of faith.

SOURCE : https://ucatholic.com/saints/archelais-susanna-thecla/

SAINTS ARCHELAIS, THECLA, AND SUSANNA – VIRGINS AND MARTYRS +293

The Christian maidens Archelais, Thecla, and Susanna, natives of Italy’s Romagna region, fled to the Italian city of Nola in the hope of escaping the persecution under the Roman Emperor Diocletian (284-305).

Having consecrated her virginity to God, Archelais devoted herself to prayer night and day and mortified herself with penances. Many are said to have been cured of their infirmities by her prayers.

Ultimately the three maidens were arrested by the pagans. When summoned before the proconsul Leontius, Archelais debated with the magistrate, defending her faith and refuting the idolatry of paganism. Leontius then ordered her to be exposed to lions, but the animals refused to harm her.

Afterward, Archelais invited the proconsul to embrace Christianity, telling him, “Believe what I say to you; believe in God the Father almighty, and in Jesus Christ his Son, who created you, and has illuminated the hidden places of darkness, and has manifested himself to all the nations.” In the end, Archelais and her fellow virgins Thecla and Susanna were beheaded in Salerno.

“Eternal light, shine in my heart;

eternal hope, lift up my eyes;

eternal pow’r, be my support;

eternal wisdom, make me wise.

Until by your most costly grace,

invited by your holy word,

at last I come before your face

to know you, my eternal God.”

SOURCE : http://prayers4reparation.wordpress.com/2012/03/28/about-saints-archelais-thecla-and-susanna/

Virgin Martyrs Archelais, Thekla, and Susanna, at Salerno

Commemorated on June 6

Troparion & Kontakion

The Holy Virgin Martyrs Archelais, Thekla and Susanna sought salvation in a small monastery near Rome. During the persecution by Diocletian (284-305), the holy virgins dressed themselves in men’s clothing, cut their hair and went to the Italian province of Campania. Settling in a remote area, they continued to pursue an ascetical life of fasting and prayer. They received the gift of healing from God, and treated the local inhabitants, converting many pagans to Christ.

When the governor of the district heard about them, he had them brought to Salerno. He threatened Saint Archelais with torture and death if she did not offer sacrifice to idols. With firm hope in the Lord, the saint refused to submit to the command, and she denounced the folly of worshipping soulless statues. Then the governor ordered the saint to be torn apart by hungry lions, but the beasts meekly lay at her feet. In a rage the governor ordered the lions to be killed, and locked the holy virgins in prison.

In the morning, having suspended Saint Archelais, the torturers began to rake her with iron utensils and pour hot tar on the wounds. The saint prayed even more loudly, and suddenly a light shone over her and a voice was heard, “Fear not, for I am with you.”

The saint was defended by the power of God. When they wanted to crush her with an immense stone, an angel pushed it to the other side, and it crushed the torturers instead. A judge ordered soldiers to behead the holy virgins, but the soldiers did not dare to put their hands upon the saints. Then Saints Archelais, Thekla and Susanna said to the soldiers, “If you do not fulfill the command, you shall have no respect from us.” The holy martyrs were beheaded in 293.

In the nineteenth century, Saint Susanna appeared to a disciple of Elder Boniface saying, “We must pray to God with the soul, the mind, and the heart.” She is described as a maiden of untold beauty, with a soft, pleasant voice.

SOURCE : https://www.oca.org/saints/lives/2016/06/06/101636-virgin-martyrs-archelais-thekla-and-susanna-at-salerno

Sante Archelaide, Tecla e Susanna Martiri di Salerno

Festa: 19 gennaio

III sec.

Secondo la loro passio, mentre imperversava la persecuzione di Diocleziano, per sottrarsi al furore degli empi, abbandonarono Roma o, secondo altri, la Romagna, dove conducevano santa vita in un monastero e si rifugiarono presso Nola, in un luogo umile e povero, dove continuarono la loro vita di preghiera. La loro fama di santità e di virtù, accompagnata anche da miracoli di guarigione, si sparse velocemente in ogni parte e questo fece sì che alcuni pagani le denunziassero a Leonzio, proconsole della Campania, che decise di punirle con la morte. Condotte a Salerno, sede di Leonzio, santa Archelaide o Archelaa, in particolare, subì vari supplizi, ma rimase miracolosamente illesa.  Alla fine, tutte e tre le vergini furono uccise di spada ad un miglio da Nola nel 293 d.C.

Secondo la loro passio, peraltro leggendaria, mentre imperversava la persecuzione di Diocleziano, per sottrarsi al furore degli empi, abbandonarono Roma (altri dicono la Romagna), dove conducevano casta e santa vita in un monastero, e si rifugiarono presso Nola, in un luogo umile e povero, dove continuarono la loro vita di preghiera e le loro opere di bene. I miracoli che operavano, specialmente la guarigione degli infermi, che spesso portavano alla guarigione ben più importante delle anime, e la conseguente fama della loro virtù e santità che si sparse rapidamente da ogni parte, fecero sì che alcuni pagani le denunziassero a Leonzio, preside della Campania, che decise di punirle con la morte, qualora non avessero sacrificato agli dèi. Condotte a Salerno, sede di Leonzio, dopo una lunga discussione tra lui e Archelaide, e dopo che questa fu gettata in pasto ai leoni, che non la toccarono, la vergine fu flagellata e sottoposta ad altri supplizi, da cui uscì miracolosamente illesa; tutte furono uccise di spada a un miglio da Nola (293). 

La passio di queste tre martiri fu composta probabilmente nella prima metà del sec. X, quando le loro reliquie, in seguito ad una rivelazione avuta da una religiosa benedettina del monastero di S. Giorgio di Salerno, furono prelevate da Nola (che allora apparteneva alla provincia ecclesiastica di Salerno) e portate in questa città, nel ricordato monastero. Alle religiose benedettine fu accordata la recita dell'Ufficio in onore delle tre sante nel 1697 e molto più tardi, il 24 sett.  1842, anche al clero della diocesi di Salerno. Se ne celebra la festa il 19 gennaio.

Il Lanzoni prospetta l'ipotesi che A. possa identificarsi con la matrona romana dello stesso nome, che a Nola fu di aiuto a s. Felice.

PREGHIERA

O gloriose martiri Archelaide, Tecla e Susanna,
che per non tradire la fede giurata a Gesù,
generosamente sprezzaste tutte le offerte del proconsole Leonzio
e protestaste coraggiosamente di voler subire tutti i supplizi,
anziché rinnegare la vostra fede, fate che l'interesse
ed il rispetto umano non ci portino a violare i nostri santi propositi.
Otteneteci dal Signore la grazia di resistere sempre coraggiosamente
agli assalti del demonio e fate che ci gloriamo sempre d'esser seguaci del Crocifisso,
disposti a soffrire anche la morte piuttosto che offenderlo minimamente.
Voi, che in terra otteneste da Gesù innumerevoli guarigioni,
guariteci dalla lebbra del peccato ed infondete nelle nostre anime
un'ardente carità che ci avvii al premio della vita eterna.
Così sia.

Autore: Antonio Balducci

SOURCE : https://www.santiebeati.it/dettaglio/95174