Legends surround the martyrdom of this
fourth century saint

By Tony Staley

	St. Abundius When: Died about 304 Where: Rome What: Priest who, along with Ss. Abundantius, Marcianus and John, was martyred in the Diocletian persecution Feast: Sept. 16

Among the many saints the church honors are those of whom little is known. In this group are some whose lives include deeds some consider little more than fanciful.

St. Abundius fits in both groups. We know he was a priest in Rome in the early 4th century. When he and his deacon, St. Abundantius, refused to worship the god Hercules, they were arrested and sent to Mammertine Prison - the same prison where Peter and Paul were once held.

Abundius and Abundantius were tortured and sentenced to die for refusing to give up their Christian faith.

As they were led to the 26th milestone of the Flaminia Way, to be beheaded, legend says they met Senator Marcianus, whose son, John, had just died. Abundius asked the grieving man to bring him the body of his son.

After Abundius prayed over the body, John returned to life. With that, Marcianus and John immediately converted to Christianity and were executed along with Abundius and Abundantius.

The bodies of Abundius, Abundantius, Marcianus and John were later taken to Ss. Cosmas and Damian Church in Rome. Around 1001, the bodies of Marcianus and John were moved to Civita Castellana, about 40 miles north of Rome in the province of Viterbo; they were named principal patrons of the city.

The relics of Abundius and Abundantius were moved in 1583 to the high altar in Ss. Nome di Gesu Church in Rome (St. Aloysius Gonzaga attended Mass there before becoming a Jesuit).

What's important to know about Abundius, Abundantius, Marcianus and John is that they were martyred under the Emperor Diocletian (284-305) during the last and worst of all the Christian persecutions. (In 313, the Emperor Constantine issued the Edict of Milan granting religious freedom to Christians.)

The persecutions started early in Diocletian's reign under the direction of Galerius, a co-emperor. But, in 299-300, Diocletian decided that all Christian soldiers or civil servants who refused to make sacrifices to the Roman gods would lose their positions.

Then, on Feb. 24, 303, Diocletian issued the Edict Against Christians, which ordered the destruction of Christian scriptures and places of worship and banned Christians from gathering for worship. It also said that anyone who refused to give up the Scriptures would be imprisoned and killed.

Additional edicts expanded the number of people affected until the fourth edict, in 304, required all Christians - not just Christian leaders - to sacrifice to the gods. It was under this fourth edict that these four saints were martyred, along with 3,000-3,500 other Christians.

Perhaps the story of these four martyrs is meant to provide both a model of faith, even to death, and also show that Christ, who brought life, was far more powerful than the Roman gods.