Candidus | |
|---|---|
 Saint Candidus, byAyne Bru, 16th century, preserved atMuseu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, in Barcelona | |
| Born | 3rd century Thebes, Egypt |
| Died | c. 287 AD Saint Maurice-en-Valais |
| Venerated in | Roman Catholic Church,Coptic Orthodox Church,Orthodox Catholic Church |
| Majorshrine | Abbaye de Saint-Maurice d'Agaune |
| Feast | September 22 |
| Attributes | Military attire |
Candidus (diedc. 287 AD) was a commander of theTheban Legion. The Theban Legion was composed of Christians fromUpper Egypt. He is venerated as aChristian saint andmartyr.
Candidus was first mentioned as a member of the Theban Legion byEucherius, Bishop of Lyon (434 AD). The 13th-centuryGolden Legend states: "And the noble man,Maurice, was duke of this holy legion; and they that governed under him, which bare the banners, were named Saint Candidus, Saint Innocent, Saint Exsuperius, Saint Victor, and Saint Constantine, all these were captains."[1]
Candidus is called Maurice'ssenator militum orstaff officer.[2] He opposedMaximian, who had ordered them to harass the local Christians in his name, stating that "we are your soldiers, but we are also servants of the true God. We cannot renounce Him who is our Creator and Master, and also yours even though you reject Him."[3]
Candidus, along with Maurice, the other staff officers and 6,600 soldiers, is said to have beenmartyred at theSwiss town ofSaint Maurice-en-Valais, then calledAgaunum. Hisfeast day is September 22.
Candidus'relics were stored in a 6th-century reliquary at theAbbaye de Saint-Maurice d'Agaune. His skull is kept in an embossed silverbust in the Abbey's Treasury.[4][5] Some of Candidus'relics are stored at Our Lady of Malibu Catholic Church, given by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles to the newly formed parish in 1960 under founding rector, Joseph Burbage. The relics were rededicated by Archbishop Jose Gomez in November, 2014. It has been confirmed that his relics can also be found at St. Bonaventure Catholic Church in Huntington Beach, CA.[6]
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