May XXIX

Saint Maximinus, Bishop of Triers, C.

From the works of St. Athanasius and St. Hilary, and from the councils. See Tillem. t. 7, p. 248. Rivet Hist. Lit. Fr. t. 1, and Calmet, Hist. Lor. t. 1.

A. D. 349.

St. Maximinus was one of those pastors whom God raised in the most dangerous times to support his church. He was born at Poitiers, nobly descended, and related to Maxentius, bishop of that city before St. Hilary. The reputation of the sanctity of St. Agritius, bishop of Triers, drew him young to that city, and after a most virtuous education, he was admitted to holy orders, and, upon the death of Agritius, chosen his successor in 332. When St. Athanasius was banished to Triers in 336, St. Maximinus received him, not as a person disgraced, but as a most glorious confessor of Christ, and thought it a great happiness to enjoy the company of so illustrious a saint. St. Athanasius stayed with him two years; and his work bear evidence to the indefatigable vigilance, heroic courage, and exemplary virtue of our saint, who was before that time famous for the gift of miracles. St. Paul, bishop of Constantinople, being banished by Constantius, found also a retreat at Triers, and in St. Maximinus a powerful protector. Our saint, by his counsels, precautioned the emperor Constans against the in trigues and snares of the Arians, and on every occasion discovered their artifice, and opposed their faction. He was one of the most illustrious defenders of the Catholic faith in the council of Sardica in 347, and had the honor to be ranked by the Arians with St. Athanasius, in an excommunication which they pretended to fulminate against them at Philippopolis. St. Maximinus is said to have died in Poitou in 349, having made a journey thither to see his relations. He was buried near Poitiers; but his body was afterwards translated to Triers on the day which is now devoted to his memory. St. Maximinus, by protecting and harboring saints, received himself the recompense of a saint.

St. Cyril, M.

This saint was as yet a child, when he glorified God by martyrdom at Cæsarea in Cappadocia. His father, being an idolater, seeing his young son, who had been privately made a Christian, refuse to adore his idols, after all manner of severe usage, turned him out of doors. The governor of Cæsarea being informed of it, gave orders that Cyril should be brought before him. Enraged to hear him never cease to proclaim the name of Jesus, he told him with many caresses, that he ought to detest that name, and promised him the pardon of his faults, a reconciliation with his father and the inheritance of his estate, if he obeyed. The courageous child answered, “I rejoice in suffering reproaches for what I have done. God will receive me, with whom I shall be better than with my father. I cheerfully renounce earthly estates and house, that I may be made rich in heaven. I am not afraid of death, because it will procure me a better life.” This he said with a courage which showed that God spoke in him. The judge commanded him to be publicly bound, and to be led as if it had been to execution, but he gave orders in private that they should only frighten him Being placed before a great fire, and threatened to be thrown in it, yet he was not daunted. He was then carried back to the judge, who said to him, “My child, you have seen both the fire and the sword. Be wise, and return to your house and fortune.” The martyr answered, “You have done me a real prejudice in calling me back. I neither fear the fire nor the sword; God will receive me. Put me to death without delay, that I may the sooner go to him.” All the assistants wept to hear him speak in this manner. But he said to them, “You ought rather to rejoice; you know not what is hope, nor what kind of kingdom I am going to possess.” With these sentiments he went joyfully to his death. He seems to have died by the sword. His name occurs in the Martyrology which bears the name of St. Jerom, and in that of Florus. He suffered under Decius or Valerian. See his authentic acts in Ruinart and Henschenius, probably compiled by St. Firmilian, bishop of Cæsarea.

St. Conon And his Son, mm.

of iconia in asia

This faithful servant of Jesus Christ, after the death of his wife, lived in retirement with his son, whom he offered to the church, and who was made a lector* at the age of twelve, and afterwards became a deacon. About this time Domitian, an officer under the emperor Aurelian, came to Iconia in order to execute the edict which that prince had issued against the Christians; and Conon and his son were among the first who were brought before him. The officer, moved with compassion for the venerable old man, asked him why he had chosen so severe and mortified a life. To which the saint replied: “Those who live according to the spirit of the world are fond of pleasures and ease; but those who live according to the Spirit of God, study to purchase the kingdom of heaven by pain and tribulation. As for me, my desire is to forfeit my life here, that I may forever reign with Jesus Christ.” Whereupon both the father and son were ordered to be stretched on a burning gridiron, and afterwards to be hung up by the feet over a suffocating smoke. Conon, amidst these torments, reproached the executioners for the weakness of their efforts; which so provoked the tyrant, that he caused the hands of the martyrs to be cut off with a wooden saw. Conon then said to him: “Are you not ashamed to see two poor weak persons triumph over all your power?” The martyrs having prayed for some time, calmly breathed their last. They suffered about the year 275, before notice had arrived of the death of Aurelian. Their relics are kept in a church of their name at Acerra, near Naples, to which they were brought in the ninth age, or later. St. Conon and his son are mentioned in the ancient Martyrologies. See their acts, which, though not original, are nevertheless of great antiquity, and written with equal piety and simplicity. The Bollandists give them on the 29th of May. See also Tillemont, Hist. Eccles. t. 4, p. 354.

SS. Sisinnius, Martyrius, and Alexander, MM.

in the territory of trent

These three saints, of whom the two last were brothers, came from Cappadocia to Italy in the reign of Theodosius the Elder. They remained some time at Milan, where St. Ambrose treated them with all the respect due to their virtue. St. Virgilius, bishop of Trent, having ordained Sisinnius a deacon, Martyrius a lector, and Alexander a porter, or door-keeper, sent them to preach the gospel in the Alps, where the Christian religion was scarcely known. They exerted their zeal particularly among the inhabitants of the districts of Anania, called afterwards the valley of Anagna, or Egna; and, notwithstanding the opposition and ill-treatment they met with, they at length, by their patience, meekness, and charity, gained a number of souls to Jesus Christ. Sisinnius built a church in the village of Methon, or Medol where he assembled his new converts to complete their instruction.

The pagans perceiving their own number daily diminishing, formed a resolution to oblige the new Christians to assist on one of their festivals at an idolatrous procession; but Sisinnius and his companions labored to withdraw them from it. This so enraged the pagans, that they determined to destroy the holy preachers; and, going to the church where these were singing the divine praises, they beat them with clubs in so cruel a manner, that Sisinnius died in a few hours. Next morning Martyrius and Alexander sung forth the praises of God as calmly as if nothing had happened to them but retired on the approach of the pagans, who came to the church to vent their rage on the bodies of the preachers. They found only that of Sisinnius, to which they offered many indignities: then going in search of his companions, they discovered Martyrius concealed in a garden, and dragged him by the legs over sharp stones, till he gave up his soul to his Redeemer. There remained now only Alexander, who soon fell into their hands. They first endeavored by menaces to make him renounce his faith, and in his presence burned the bodies of Sisinnius and Martyrius, but finding all their attempts fruitless, they cast him into the same fire, where he completed his sacrifice, the 29th of May, 397. The faithful collected the ashes of the three saints, which were conveyed to Trent; afterwards St. Virgilius erected a church on the spot where they suffered, and sent to several bishops the history of their triumph; we have still extant some of his letters on this subject to St. Simplicianus of Milan, and to St. Chrysostom. He also made several distributions of the relics of the three martyrs. See their acts in the Bollandists, with the letters of St. Virgilius of Trent, to St. Simplicianus, and to St. Chrysostom, &c.

May XXX

* Those who aspire to the priesthood are first initiated by the clerical tonsure, which is not properly an order, but only a preparation for orders; after which they must pass through the minor or lesser orders, according to the practice of the primitive church. These are, the orders of porter or door-keeper of the church, called ostiarius; lector, or reader of the lessons in the divine office; exorcist, whose function is to rend the exorcisms and prayers of the church over those who are possessed by the evil spirit; and acolyte, whose function is to serve the holy sacrifice of the mass, to light the candles, &c. From the minor orders they are promoted to the order of subdeacon, which is the first of those that are called holy; the subdeacon is forever engaged to the service of God and his church in the state of perpetual continence, and is obliged to the canonical hours in the church office, and to assist the deacon in his ministry. From this order they are advanced to that of deacon, whose office is to assist the bishop or priest at mass, to preach the gospel, to baptize, &c. The next ascent is to the order of priest or presbyter; above this is the order of bishops, among whom the chief is called the pope.

 Butler, A. (1903). The Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs and Other Principal Saints (Vol. 2, pp. 440–443). New York: P. J. Kenedy.