St. Valentine's Day

[Mrs. Bro. Adam]

A brief history.

St. Valentine:



[quote] The commemoration of St. Valentine on February 14 affords an interesting example of the mixture of truth and fiction which is commonly to be found in such abstracts of traditional belief as the notices in the Roman Martyrology.  Alban Butler, who deserves credit for using the best sources available in his day, drew up his summary in the following terms:

[i]Valentine was a holy priest in Rome, who, with St. Marius and his family, assisted the martyrs in the persecution under Claudius II.  He was apprehended, and sent by the emperor to the prefect of Rome, who, on finding ineffectual, commanded him to be beaten with clubs, and afterwards to be beheaded, which was executed on February 14, about the year 270.  Pope Julius I is said to have built a church near Ponte Mole to his memory, which for a long time gave name to the gate now called Porta del Popolo, formerly Porta Valentini.  The greatest part of his relics are now in the church of St. Praxedes.[/i]

The first objection that might be raised against the celebration of a feast in St. Valentine's honor is the fact that the Roman Martyrology on this day makes mention, not of one, but of two St. Valentines, both martyrs put to death by decapitation and both on the Flaminian Way, though one died at Rome and the other is located some sixty miles from Rome at Interamna (Terni).  Moreover, when we study the so-called "acts" of the Roman martyr, who is alone referred to by Butler, we find that the greater part of his story has been taken over bodily from a similar narrative dealing with the martyrdom of SS. Marius and Martha.

Nevertheless there seems no conclusive reason for doubting the real existence of either of these two martyrs.  The evidence of early local cultus in both cases is strong.  The Roman Valentine seems to have been a priest.  He probably did suffer on February 14 in the persecution of Claudius the Goth about the year 269.  He was buried on the Flaminian Way, a basilica was erected as early as 350, a catacomb was later on formed on this spot, the location of his remains was known, and they were subsequently translated.  On the other hand, the connection with Interamna of a St. Valentine, martyr, who is also described as bishop of that town, is attested by the martyrology known as the "Hieronymianum" and there is some other evidence of a similar nature.  It might, of course, have happened that in the persecution of the Emperor Claudius the Goth, Valentine, Bishop of Interamna, was taken to Rome after his arrest and was there put to death.

The custom for young men and maidens to choose each other for Valentines on this day, is probably based on the popular belief which we find recorded in literature as early as the time of Chaucer, that the birds began to pair on St. Valentine's Day.  The sending of a missive of some kind was only a natural development of this choosing.  One of the earliest references to the custom of choosing a Valentine is to be found in  [i]The Paston Letters.[/i]

Although on account of the custom connected with his feast the name of St. Valentine was very familiar in England, no church is known to have been dedicated in his honor in this country.[/quote]



[b][i]Taken from page 81 of [u]ONE HUNDRED SAINTS[/u] compiled by BULFINCH[/i][/b]