Saint Quirinus of Sescia
Encyclopedia
Saint Quirinus (died 309 AD) is venerated as an early bishop of Sescia, now Sisak
in Croatia
. He is mentioned by Eusebius of Caesarea
.
A Passio, considered unreliable, states that Quirinus was killed during the persecutions of Diocletian
after being arrested in 309. Quirinus had attempted to flee but was imprisoned. He managed to convert his jailer, named Marcellus, to Christianity
. After three days, the governor of Pannonia Prima
, Amantius, ordered him taken to Savaria
(present-day Szombathely, Hungary), where after attempting to make Quirinus abjure his faith, threw the bishop into the Sava River
with a millstone
around his neck. A variant of the legend states that he was almost killed during Diocletian's persecution of Christians: the authorities tied him to a millstone and threw him into a river, but he freed himself from the weight, escaped and continued to preach his faith. Saint Florian
, another saint associated with Pannonia, was also said to have been executed by drowning with a stone tied around his neck.
The Acts of the martyrdom of the saint are still in existence (Thierry Ruinart
, "Acta martyrum", Ratisbon, 522), also a hymn in his honour by Prudentius
(loc. cit., 524).
Local Christians of Savara recovered his body and buried it near the gate known as the “Scarabateus.”
Upon the incursion of the barbarians into Pannonia
at the end of the fourth century and at the beginning of the fifth, his relics were taken to Rome
and deposited in a mausoleum
or vaulted chamber named Platonia, behind the apse of the Basilica of San Sebastiano fuori le mura
on the Appian Way
(De Waal, "Die Apostelgruft ad Catacumbas an der via Appia", Rome, 1894).
The "Platonia" was a construction at the rear of the basilica that was long believed to have been the temporary resting place for Peter
and Paul
, but was in fact a tomb for Quirinus.
His cult became popular, as attested by the Itineraries of the 7th century.
Some sources state that his relics were translated to various locations, including Milan
, Aquileia
, and the Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere
in Rome. His relics may have also been carried to Tivoli
, explaining the existence of a cult to Saint Quirinus of Tivoli, who may or may not be the same saint.
A church is dedicated to him at Jesenovik
.
His feast is observed on June 4.
Sisak
Sisak is a city in central Croatia. The city's population in 2011 was 33,049, with a total of 49,699 in the administrative region and it is also the administrative centre of the Sisak-Moslavina county...
in Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
. He is mentioned by Eusebius of Caesarea
Eusebius of Caesarea
Eusebius of Caesarea also called Eusebius Pamphili, was a Roman historian, exegete and Christian polemicist. He became the Bishop of Caesarea in Palestine about the year 314. Together with Pamphilus, he was a scholar of the Biblical canon...
.
A Passio, considered unreliable, states that Quirinus was killed during the persecutions of Diocletian
Diocletian
Diocletian |latinized]] upon his accession to Diocletian . c. 22 December 244 – 3 December 311), was a Roman Emperor from 284 to 305....
after being arrested in 309. Quirinus had attempted to flee but was imprisoned. He managed to convert his jailer, named Marcellus, to Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
. After three days, the governor of Pannonia Prima
Pannonia Prima
Pannonia Prima was an ancient Roman province. It was formed in the year 296, during the reign of Emperor Diocletian. Previously, it was a part of the province of Pannonia, which was gradually divided into four administrative units: Pannonia Prima, Pannonia Secunda, Valeria, and Savia. This...
, Amantius, ordered him taken to Savaria
Savaria
Savaria may refer to :-* Szombathely - a city in Hungary* Sarvaiya - a Rajput clan of India* Saawariya - a known Bollywood film....
(present-day Szombathely, Hungary), where after attempting to make Quirinus abjure his faith, threw the bishop into the Sava River
Sava River
The Sava is a river in Southeast Europe, a right side tributary of the Danube river at Belgrade. Counting from Zelenci, the source of Sava Dolinka, it is long and drains of surface area. It flows through Slovenia, Croatia, along the northern border of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and through Serbia....
with a millstone
Millstone
Millstones or mill stones are used in windmills and watermills, including tide mills, for grinding wheat or other grains.The type of stone most suitable for making millstones is a siliceous rock called burrstone , an open-textured, porous but tough, fine-grained sandstone, or a silicified,...
around his neck. A variant of the legend states that he was almost killed during Diocletian's persecution of Christians: the authorities tied him to a millstone and threw him into a river, but he freed himself from the weight, escaped and continued to preach his faith. Saint Florian
Saint Florian
Florian lived in the time of the Roman emperors Diocletian and Maximian, and was commander of the imperial army in the Roman province of Noricum. In addition to his military duties, he was also responsible for organizing firefighting brigades....
, another saint associated with Pannonia, was also said to have been executed by drowning with a stone tied around his neck.
The Acts of the martyrdom of the saint are still in existence (Thierry Ruinart
Thierry Ruinart
Dom Thierry Ruinart was a French Benedictine monk and scholar. He was a Maurist, and a disciple of Jean Mabillon....
, "Acta martyrum", Ratisbon, 522), also a hymn in his honour by Prudentius
Prudentius
Aurelius Prudentius Clemens was a Roman Christian poet, born in the Roman province of Tarraconensis in 348. He probably died in Spain, as well, some time after 405, possibly around 413...
(loc. cit., 524).
Veneration
Upon the incursion of the barbarians into Pannonia
Pannonia
Pannonia was an ancient province of the Roman Empire bounded north and east by the Danube, coterminous westward with Noricum and upper Italy, and southward with Dalmatia and upper Moesia....
at the end of the fourth century and at the beginning of the fifth, his relics were taken to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
and deposited in a mausoleum
Mausoleum
A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or persons. A monument without the interment is a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be considered a type of tomb or the tomb may be considered to be within the...
or vaulted chamber named Platonia, behind the apse of the Basilica of San Sebastiano fuori le mura
San Sebastiano fuori le mura
San Sebastiano fuori le mura , or San Sebastiano ad Catacumbas , is a basilica in Rome, central Italy...
on the Appian Way
Appian Way
The Appian Way was one of the earliest and strategically most important Roman roads of the ancient republic. It connected Rome to Brindisi, Apulia, in southeast Italy...
(De Waal, "Die Apostelgruft ad Catacumbas an der via Appia", Rome, 1894).
The "Platonia" was a construction at the rear of the basilica that was long believed to have been the temporary resting place for Peter
Saint Peter
Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
and Paul
Paul of Tarsus
Paul the Apostle , also known as Saul of Tarsus, is described in the Christian New Testament as one of the most influential early Christian missionaries, with the writings ascribed to him by the church forming a considerable portion of the New Testament...
, but was in fact a tomb for Quirinus.
His cult became popular, as attested by the Itineraries of the 7th century.
Some sources state that his relics were translated to various locations, including Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, Aquileia
Aquileia
Aquileia is an ancient Roman city in what is now Italy, at the head of the Adriatic at the edge of the lagoons, about 10 km from the sea, on the river Natiso , the course of which has changed somewhat since Roman times...
, and the Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere
Santa Maria in Trastevere
The Basilica of Our Lady in Trastevere is a titular minor basilica, one of the oldest churches in Rome, and perhaps the first in which mass was openly celebrated...
in Rome. His relics may have also been carried to Tivoli
Tivoli, Italy
Tivoli , the classical Tibur, is an ancient Italian town in Lazio, about 30 km east-north-east of Rome, at the falls of the Aniene river where it issues from the Sabine hills...
, explaining the existence of a cult to Saint Quirinus of Tivoli, who may or may not be the same saint.
A church is dedicated to him at Jesenovik
Jesenovik
Jesenovik is a village in Istria, Croatia enhabited mostly by Istro-Romanians. The village is located close to the local road Susnjevica - Plomin and the railroad Susnjevica - Labin, in the Cepicko field, on the western slopes of Učka, below the Brgud peak, with an elevation of 24 metres...
.
His feast is observed on June 4.