Vitalis of Milan | |
|---|---|
 Glory of St Vitalis,San Vidal, Venice | |
| Martyr | |
| Died | ~1st century or 2nd century |
| Venerated in | Catholic Church |
| Feast | 28 April |
| Attributes | with Saint Gervase and Saint Protase |
| Patronage | Ravenna andGranarolo dell'Emilia, Italy;Thibodaux, Louisiana |
Vitalis ofMilan (Italian:San Vitale) was an earlyChristianmartyr andsaint.
His legend relates that Vitalis was a wealthy citizen ofMilan, perhaps a soldier. He was married toValeria of Milan. They are supposed to have been the parents of the (perhaps legendary)Gervasius and Protasius.[1]
According to legend, Vitalis was an officer who accompanied the judge Paulinus from Milan to Ravenna. He encouragedUrsicinus of Ravenna to be steadfast at his execution, and himself gave Ursicinus honorable burial. Vitalis was discovered to be a Christian. Paulinus ordered Vitalis to beracked and then thrown into a deep pit and covered with stones and earth.[2]
The date of his martyrdom is uncertain: some sources say that he was a victim ofNero; others, ofMarcus Aurelius. He was martyred inRavenna, but all else in the story is suspect. "Many scholars believe that the narrative is partly fanciful, recognising in the characters mentioned, other martyrs of the same name venerated both in Milan and Ravenna."[3]
Vitalis is honoured as the principal patron saint of the city of Ravenna.[4]
The feast day of Saint Vitalis is 28 April.[5] Churches are dedicated in honor of Saint Vitalis atAssisi, andRome, inItaly and at Jadera (nowZadar) inDalmatia (nowCroatia), but by far the most famous church bearing his name is the octagonalBasilica of San Vitale at Ravenna, a masterpiece ofByzantine art, erected on the purported site of his martyrdom.[2] He is also the patron saint ofGranarolo andMarittima in Italy.
TheCebu Metropolitan Cathedral has Saint Vitalis (Spanish andCebuano:San Vidal) as its secondary titular after theImmaculate Conception, the nation’s Principal Patroness. AMass for the 75th anniversary ofCebu's elevation to anarchdiocese was held on the feast of Saint Vitalis in 2009, with-thenArchbishop of CebuCardinalRicardo Vidal presiding. Though Saint Vitalis and his patronage are largely forgotten, then-auxiliary bishopRuben Labajo revived interest in devotion to him and the localCofradía de San Vitalis.[6]
A statue of Saint Vitalis is among those atop the northern half ofGian Lorenzo Bernini’scolonnade surroundingSt. Peter’s Square,Vatican City.[7]
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "St. Vitalis".Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Wood, James, ed. (1907). "Vitalis, St.".The Nuttall Encyclopædia. London and New York: Frederick Warne.
