Symphorian and Timotheus
Encyclopedia
Saints Timotheus and Symphorian (Symphorianus, Symphorien) are venerated together as saint
s by the Catholic Church and share the same feast day
(August 22), though the lives of the two saints are not related.
to Rome
, where he preached for fifteen months and lived with Sylvester
, who later became pope. The prefect
of the city, Tarquinus Perpenna, threw him into prison, tortured, and finally beheaded
him in 311. A Christian woman named Theon buried him in her garden. This is related in the legend of Sylvester. The name of Timotheus occurs in the earliest martyrologies.
was beheaded, while still a young man, during the reign of Marcus Aurelius. He was the son of a senator named Faustus. He studied at Autun and was brought before the provincial governor Heraclius for not worshipping the pagan goddess Cybele
. Symphorian is said to have asked for tools to destroy the statue. He was arrested and flogged and because he was from a noble family, he was given a chance to recant. Symphorian was offered bribes to do so, but he declined.
His mother, the Blessed Augusta (?), encouraged him on his way to execution, 22 August 178, and was present at her son's death.
According to a legendary passio of Saint Benignus of Dijon, Symphorian was a young nobleman who was converted by Benignus at Autun.
, which belonged to the Congregation of Sainte-Geneviève from 1656 until its suppression in 1791. Abbot Germanus
later became Bishop of Paris, where he dedicated a chapel to the saint. Genesius of Clermont
built a church dedicated to him at Clermont
.
St. Symphorian is the patron saint
of Autun. His veneration spread at an early date through the empire of the Franks
. His cult was especially popular at Tours
; St. Gregory of Tours relates a miracle
wrought by the saint.
There is a St. Symphorian's Church at Veryan
, Cornwall
and another
at Durrington
in West Sussex
, now a suburb of the town of Worthing
.
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
s by the Catholic Church and share the same feast day
Calendar of saints
The calendar of saints is a traditional Christian method of organizing a liturgical year by associating each day with one or more saints and referring to the feast day of said saint...
(August 22), though the lives of the two saints are not related.
Timotheus
During the pontificate of Melchiades (311-13), St. Timotheus came from AntiochAntioch
Antioch on the Orontes was an ancient city on the eastern side of the Orontes River. It is near the modern city of Antakya, Turkey.Founded near the end of the 4th century BC by Seleucus I Nicator, one of Alexander the Great's generals, Antioch eventually rivaled Alexandria as the chief city of the...
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...
, where he preached for fifteen months and lived with Sylvester
Pope Silvester I
Pope Sylvester I was pope from 31 January 314 to 31 December 335, succeeding Pope Miltiades.He filled the See of Rome at a very important era in the history of the Catholic Church, but very little is known of him....
, who later became pope. The prefect
Prefect
Prefect is a magisterial title of varying definition....
of the city, Tarquinus Perpenna, threw him into prison, tortured, and finally beheaded
Decapitation
Decapitation is the separation of the head from the body. Beheading typically refers to the act of intentional decapitation, e.g., as a means of murder or execution; it may be accomplished, for example, with an axe, sword, knife, wire, or by other more sophisticated means such as a guillotine...
him in 311. A Christian woman named Theon buried him in her garden. This is related in the legend of Sylvester. The name of Timotheus occurs in the earliest martyrologies.
Symphorian
According to a legend of the early fifth century, St. Symphorian of AutunAutun
Autun is a commune in the Saône-et-Loire department in Burgundy in eastern France. It was founded during the early Roman Empire as Augustodunum. Autun marks the easternmost extent of the Umayyad campaign in Europe.-Early history:...
was beheaded, while still a young man, during the reign of Marcus Aurelius. He was the son of a senator named Faustus. He studied at Autun and was brought before the provincial governor Heraclius for not worshipping the pagan goddess Cybele
Cybele
Cybele , was a Phrygian form of the Earth Mother or Great Mother. As with Greek Gaia , her Minoan equivalent Rhea and some aspects of Demeter, Cybele embodies the fertile Earth...
. Symphorian is said to have asked for tools to destroy the statue. He was arrested and flogged and because he was from a noble family, he was given a chance to recant. Symphorian was offered bribes to do so, but he declined.
His mother, the Blessed Augusta (?), encouraged him on his way to execution, 22 August 178, and was present at her son's death.
According to a legendary passio of Saint Benignus of Dijon, Symphorian was a young nobleman who was converted by Benignus at Autun.
Veneration for Saint Symphorian
Bishop Euphronius (d. 490) built a handsome church over his grave, connected with a monasteryMonastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
, which belonged to the Congregation of Sainte-Geneviève from 1656 until its suppression in 1791. Abbot Germanus
Germanus
Germanus is the Latin term referring to the Germanic peoples. A probably related meaning for the word in Latin is "brother", cognate to germen "seed"...
later became Bishop of Paris, where he dedicated a chapel to the saint. Genesius of Clermont
Genesius of Clermont
Saint Genesius is a French saint. He was the twenty-first Bishop of Clermont and his feast day is celebrated on June 3.The legend, which is of a rather late date , says that he was descended from a senatorial family of Auvergne.Having received a liberal education he renounced his worldly...
built a church dedicated to him at Clermont
Clermont
-In Canada:*Clermont, Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Quebec*Clermont, Capitale-Nationale, Quebec-In France:* Clermont, Ariège, in the Ariège département* Clermont, Haute-Savoie, in the Haute-Savoie département* Clermont, Landes, in the Landes département...
.
St. Symphorian is the patron saint
Patron saint
A patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person...
of Autun. His veneration spread at an early date through the empire of the Franks
Franks
The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
. His cult was especially popular at Tours
Tours
Tours is a city in central France, the capital of the Indre-et-Loire department.It is located on the lower reaches of the river Loire, between Orléans and the Atlantic coast. Touraine, the region around Tours, is known for its wines, the alleged perfection of its local spoken French, and for the...
; St. Gregory of Tours relates a miracle
Miracle
A miracle often denotes an event attributed to divine intervention. Alternatively, it may be an event attributed to a miracle worker, saint, or religious leader. A miracle is sometimes thought of as a perceptible interruption of the laws of nature. Others suggest that a god may work with the laws...
wrought by the saint.
There is a St. Symphorian's Church at Veryan
Veryan
Veryan is a coastal civil parish and a village on the Roseland Peninsula in Cornwall, United Kingdom. The main settlements are at Veryan Churchtown, Veryan Green, Portloe and the smaller hamlets of Trewartha, Treviskey, Carne and Camels...
, Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
and another
St Symphorian's Church, Durrington
St Symphorian's Church is an Anglican church in the Durrington area of the borough of Worthing, one of seven local government districts in the English county of West Sussex. Originally an 11th-century chapelry in the parish of St Andrew's Church, West Tarring, the church declined and fell into...
at Durrington
Durrington, West Sussex
Durrington is a neighbourhood of the Borough of Worthing in West Sussex, England. It is situated near the A27 road, northwest of the town centre.Durrington means 'Dēora's farmstead', Dēora presumably being the name of a Saxon settler...
in West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
, now a suburb of the town of Worthing
Worthing
Worthing is a large seaside town with borough status in West Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, forming part of the Brighton/Worthing/Littlehampton conurbation. It is situated at the foot of the South Downs, west of Brighton, and east of the county town of Chichester...
.
External links
- Symphorian and Timotheus at the Catholic EncyclopediaCatholic EncyclopediaThe Catholic Encyclopedia, also referred to as the Old Catholic Encyclopedia and the Original Catholic Encyclopedia, is an English-language encyclopedia published in the United States. The first volume appeared in March 1907 and the last three volumes appeared in 1912, followed by a master index...
- Patron Saints Index: Symphorian
- Symphorian of Autun
See also
- Saint-SymphorienSaint-SymphorienSaint-Symphorien may refer to the following places:* in France**Saint-Symphorien, Cher, in the Cher département**Saint-Symphorien, Eure, in the Eure département**Saint-Symphorien, Gironde, in the Gironde département...
, places in France named after Symphorian