Saint Sebastian
Sebastian was born at Narbonne, France, though his parents were natives of Milan and he grew up there. He entered the army of Emperor Carinus though was a Christian. He gave secret help to those being persecuted. He became a tribune and commanded the first cohort at Milan. Carinus was defeated and killed by Diocletian, who made Sebastian captain of a company of guards. But the persecution of the Christians was intensified, and he was denounced to the emperor who ordered him to be shot dead by arrows. He was taken to a field, pierced repeatedly with arrows and left for dead, but at night the widow of a martyr who went to bury him found him still alive. She took him home with her, tended his wounds and hid him until he was better, but he re-fused to flee. As soon as he was well enough, St Sebastian went to a place where he knew the emperor would be passing. He stood at the top of a staircase, saluted him and shouted, “The words of thy priests are false, O Emperor, who say that we Christians are enemies of the State; for we do not cease to pray for thy welfare, and that of the realm.’ Diocletian was infuriated and ordered Sebastian to be beaten to death with cudgels and his body thrown into a sewer. His feast day (with FABIAN) is 20 January. Photo from Rome, Italy, 2025.
Photo from the Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit, Michigan, 2025.