Saint Apollinaris

The Saint of the Day for January 8 is Saint Apollinaris.

Saint Apollinaris was one of the first great martyrs of the church. He was made Bishop of Ravenna by St. Peter. The miracles he conducted in Ravenna soon attracted official attention, for they and his preaching won many converts to the Faith, while at the same time bringing upon him the fury of the pagans, who beat him cruelly on several occasions.

In one of those occasions, he was cut with knives, had scalding water poured over his wounds, was beaten in the mouth with stones and then put on board a ship and sent to Greece. In Greece the same course of preachings, and miracles, and sufferings continued. In fact, after a cruel beating by Greek pagans, he was sent back to Italy.

When Emperor Vespasian issued a decree of banishment against the Christians, Apollinaris was kept concealed for some time, but as he was leaving, passing through the gates of the city, he was attacked and savagely beaten, probably ain Classis, a suburb. He lived for seven days, foretelling that the persecutions would increase, but that the Church would ultimately triumph. The precise date of his consecration cannot be determined, but he was Bishop of Ravenna for twenty-six years.