Saint of the Day – 18 November – Saint Romano of Antioch (Died c 303) Deacon Martyr . Died by strangulation in prison in Antioch, Syria. Also known as – Romanus of Caesarea, Romano.
The Roman Martyrology reads: “At Antioch, the birthday of St Romanus, Martyr in the time of the Emperor Galerius. When the Prefect Asclepiades broke into the Churches and strove to destroy them completely, Romanus exhorted the Christians to resist him and, after being subjected to dire torments and the cutting out of his tongue (without which, however, he spoke the praises of God), he was strangled in prison and crowned with a glorious Martyrdom. Before him suffered a young boy, named Barula, who, being asked by him. whether it was better to worship one God, Whom the Christians adore, was scourged and beheaded.”
In 303 or 304, at the beginning of Diocletian Persecution, a Deacon called Romanus, served in Caesarea in Palestine. He was living in Antioch, where, in the midst of the persecutions, he encouraged the Christians to stand firm.
During a pagan festival, he upbraided the participants for worshiping idols. Taken prisoner, he was condemned to death by fire and was bound to the stake. When rain extinguished the flames, Romanus was brought before Emperor Galerius who was then in Antioch. At the Emperor’s command, Romanus’ tongue was cut out. Tortured in various ways in prison, he was finally strangled.
Eusebius speaks of his Martyrdom in De martyribus Palaestinae. Prudentius relates other details and gives Romanus a companion in Martyrdom, a Christian boy by name Barulas.
he Church of San Román in Seville is dedicated to Romanus. Prudentius wrote a 1140 line Hymn to Romanus, the Romane Christi fortis, the tenth hymn in his Peristephanon.
AnaStpaul 