Calimerius | |
|---|---|
| Bishop of Milan | |
 Fresco of Saint Calimerius | |
| Church | Catholic Church |
| In office | about 270 – 280 |
| Predecessor | Castritian |
| Successor | Monas |
| Sainthood | |
| Feast day | July 31 |
| Venerated in | Catholic Church Eastern Orthodox Church |
| Patronage | invoked against drought |
| Shrines | Basilica of Saint Calimerius, Milan |
Calimerius (Italian:Calimero,Byzantine Greek:Καλημέριος) (died 280 AD) was an earlybishop of Milan. He is honoured as aSaint in theCatholic andEastern Orthodox churches and his feast day is on July 31.
The only thing known for certain about him was that he was a bishop whose relics were conserved in theBasilica of Saint Calimerius in Milan, after his death.[1] He was probably not a contemporary and disciple ofPope Telesphorus (2nd century), as is often stated, but lived in the third century, with an episcopate of 270–280.[1][2]
According to one version his legend, he was born to a nobleRoman family, entered military service and reached the rank of officer when he was converted to Christianity by saintsFaustinus and Jovita. According to another legend, he was born inGreece, and was educated atRome. He was a disciple ofPope Telesphorus. He succeededSt. Castricianus (San Castriziano). He was ordained priest byCastricianus and served at the Basilica Fausta (now the church ofSaints Vitalis and Agricola).[3][4] At the death ofCastricianus, he was elected bishop.[4]
According to his legend, when he became bishop ofMilan, he preached in the region and was killed during the persecutions of Christians byCommodus orHadrian, by being flung headfirst into awell.
Calimerius' relics were exhumed in the eighth century by Bishop Tommaso Grassi of Milan. Theurn and the relics were found submerged in water, perhaps due to the many underground channels that ran under the city.[1] However, the fact that his relics were found this way led to the legend that Calimerius was flung into a well. In the eleventh century, theDatiana Historia, written by an anonymous author, states that Calimerius was flung into a well as revenge for having baptized so many pagans.[1] The same source includes the detail that Calimerius was a Greek raised in Rome, as well as the fact that he was a disciple of Telesphorus, although both claims may be historically doubtful.[1] Another legend states that he was a Roman of noble origin, who, after serving in the military, was converted bySaints Faustinus and Jovita and was elected bishop of Milan. The dates on a plaque of marble in the interior of theCathedral of Milan state that his episcopate lasted from 139 to 192, but these dates, due to disputes with Rome, may have been falsified in the eleventh century in order to make the diocese of Milan appear to be more ancient than it actually was. Thus, it consideredSaint Barnabas of theApostolic Age as its first bishop in order to become more independent of Rome.[5] AsHippolyte Delehaye writes, "To have lived amongst the Saviour's immediate following was ... honorable ... and accordingly old patrons of churches were identified with certain persons in thegospels or who were supposed to have had some part inChrist's life on earth."[6]
Saint Ennodius, in anepigram, writes that the basilica of San Calimero was built in the fifth century to hold therelics of Calimerius.
The waters of a well said to have been the place of his death acquired special significance. Every July 31, his feast day, the sick would drink of this water. In times ofdrought, priests would put some of the miraculous water into a bottle and pour it over the fields.[1]
There are basilicas dedicated to him atPasturo and the Santuario della Madonna di San Calimero is located inBolladello di Cairate.
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| Genoa period |
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$=considered an intruder by theCatholic Church | |
