Heliodorus of Altino
Encyclopedia
Saint Heliodorus (died c. 390 AD) was the first bishop of Altinum
(Altino
) in the 4th century
. He was born at Dalmatia
. Like Chromatius
, he was a disciple of Valerianus, the bishop of Aquileia.
He accompanied Saint Jerome
on his voyage to the Holy Land
, and is mentioned in Jerome's letters. After the death of his mother, Heliodorus went to Italy
and was made bishop of Altino. He attempted to counter Arianism
in his see, and assisted at the Council of Aquileia (381). Saint Nepotian, a nephew of Saint Heliodorus, was ordained by the bishop after leaving his position as an officer in the imperial bodyguard.
A legend, composed around the 10th century and incorporating elements from other saints’ hagiographies, states that Liberalis of Treviso was educated in the Christian faith by Heliodorus. The legend goes on to state that, faced with growing opposition from both Arianism and paganism in the see, Heliodorus retired as bishop and lived as a hermit
on a desert island
in the lagoons near Altino, entrusting the see to a man named Ambrose. Worried about Ambrose’s ability to handle the rise of Arianism in the see, Liberalis decided to look for Heliodorus and attempt to convince him to come back to his see, but died on the way, and was later venerated as a saint.
. His relics rest in a sepulcher in the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta
on Torcello.
Altinum
260px|thumb|Remains of the Roman [[decumanus]].Altinum is the name of an ancient coastal town of the Veneti 15 km SE of the modern Treviso, northern Italy, on the edge of the lagoons...
(Altino
Quarto d'Altino
Quarto d'Altino is a town in the province of Venice, Veneto, Italy. SP41 goes through it.The name "Quarto D'Altino" is composed by the prefix "Quarto" because the town was a quarter of a mile from the Roman city Altinum.-Sources:*...
) in the 4th century
4th century
As a means of recording the passage of time, the 4th century was that century which lasted from 301 to 400.- Overview :...
. He was born at Dalmatia
Dalmatia (Roman province)
Dalmatia was an ancient Roman province. Its name is probably derived from the name of an Illyrian tribe called the Dalmatae which lived in the area of the eastern Adriatic coast in Classical antiquity....
. Like Chromatius
Chromatius
Saint Chromatius was a bishop of Aquileia. He was probably born at Aquileia, and in any case grew up there. His father had died when Chromatius was an infant. He was raised by his mother and large family of older siblings....
, he was a disciple of Valerianus, the bishop of Aquileia.
He accompanied Saint Jerome
Saint Jerome
Saint Jerome is a Christian church father, best known for translating the Bible into Latin.Saint Jerome may also refer to:*Jerome of Pavia , Bishop of Pavia...
on his voyage to the Holy Land
Holy Land
The Holy Land is a term which in Judaism refers to the Kingdom of Israel as defined in the Tanakh. For Jews, the Land's identifiction of being Holy is defined in Judaism by its differentiation from other lands by virtue of the practice of Judaism often possible only in the Land of Israel...
, and is mentioned in Jerome's letters. After the death of his mother, Heliodorus went to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and was made bishop of Altino. He attempted to counter Arianism
Arianism
Arianism is the theological teaching attributed to Arius , a Christian presbyter from Alexandria, Egypt, concerning the relationship of the entities of the Trinity and the precise nature of the Son of God as being a subordinate entity to God the Father...
in his see, and assisted at the Council of Aquileia (381). Saint Nepotian, a nephew of Saint Heliodorus, was ordained by the bishop after leaving his position as an officer in the imperial bodyguard.
A legend, composed around the 10th century and incorporating elements from other saints’ hagiographies, states that Liberalis of Treviso was educated in the Christian faith by Heliodorus. The legend goes on to state that, faced with growing opposition from both Arianism and paganism in the see, Heliodorus retired as bishop and lived as a hermit
Hermit
A hermit is a person who lives, to some degree, in seclusion from society.In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Christian who lives the eremitic life out of a religious conviction, namely the Desert Theology of the Old Testament .In the...
on a desert island
Desert island
A desert island or uninhabited island is an island that has yet to be populated by humans. Uninhabited islands are often used in movies or stories about shipwrecked people, and are also used as stereotypes for the idea of "paradise". Some uninhabited islands are protected as nature reserves and...
in the lagoons near Altino, entrusting the see to a man named Ambrose. Worried about Ambrose’s ability to handle the rise of Arianism in the see, Liberalis decided to look for Heliodorus and attempt to convince him to come back to his see, but died on the way, and was later venerated as a saint.
Veneration
Heliodorus' relics were carried to Altino during the barbarian invasions and then to TorcelloTorcello
Torcello is a quiet and sparsely populated island at the northern end of the Venetian Lagoon. It is considered the oldest continuously populated region of Venice, and once held the largest population of the Republic of Venice.-History:...
. His relics rest in a sepulcher in the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta
Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta
The Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta is a basilica church on the island of Torcello, Venice, northern Italy...
on Torcello.