St. Sebastian

St. Sebastian came from southern France and he was educated in Milan. He was born in 256AD in Narbonne, France. He joined the Roman Army in 283 AD, ostensibly to be of service to other Christians who were being persecuted by the Romans. St. Sebastian distinguished himself and for his excellent service, he was promoted to  serve in the Praetorian Guard to protect Emperor Diocletian.

While serving as a Praetorian Guard, Marcus and Marcellian, twin brothers, were imprisoned for refusing to make public sacrifices to the Roman gods. The brothers were deacons of the Christian Church. During their imprisonment, their parents visited them to implore them to renounce Christianity. However, St. Sebastian convinced both parents to convert to Christianity. St. Sebastian also converted several other prominent individuals, including the local prefect.

This led to his discovery and he was reported as a Christian to Emperor Diocletian in 286. The Emperor, who was already infamous for ordering the deaths of hundreds of Christians ordered Maximinus to interrogate Sebastian. Maximinus offered him the chance to renounce his faith in Jesus Christ and he would be promoted in the Roman Army, or else to be killed by having him tied to a stake on a training field and used as target practice. Sebastian did not hesitate and preferred the second destiny.

Archers riddled his body with arrows, his body was described as, “full of arrows as an urchin.” Believed to be dead, the archers left his body for retrieval and burial. He was recovered by Irene of Rome, whose Christian husband was a servant to Diocletian and also martyred. Irene discovered that Sebastian was still living and she hid him and nursed him back to health. He died in 288AD in Rome Italy. In the IV Century a basilica was erected in his honour in Rome. That Basilica is one of the seven Pilgrim Churches of Rome and one of the five former “Patriarchal Basilicas”.