Saint/s of the Day – 11 September – St Protus and St Hyacinth (Died c257) Brother Martyrs

Saint/s of the Day – 11 September – St Protus and St Hyacinth (Died c257) Brother Martyrs during the persecution of Emperor Valerian (257–259), they served as household Officials to St Eugenia. Protus is also known as – Protatius, Proteus, Prothus, Prote and Proto. His name was corrupted in England as Saint Pratt. Hyacinth is sometimes called by his Latin name Hyacinthus (in French: Hyacinthe, Spanish: Jacinto and Italian: Giacinto).

The Roman Martyrology states today: “At Rome, in the Cemetery of Basilla, on the old Salarian Way, the birthday of the Holy Martyrs, Protus and Hyacinth, brothers and eunuchs in the service of the blessed Eugenia, who were arrested in the time of the Emperor Gallienus, on the charge of being Christians and urged to offer sacrifice to the gods. But as they refused, both were most severely scourged and finally, beheaded.”

Tradition holds that Protus and Hyacinth were brothers. They served as Chamberlains to Saint Eugenia, a holy Christian Virgin and Martyr and were Baptised along with her by Helenus, Bishop of Heliopolis.

Devoting themselves zealously to the study of Sacred Scripture, they lived with the hermits of Egypt and later accompanied Eugenia to Rome. There, they were arrested for their Christian Faith by Emperor Gallienus (260–268). Refusing to deny their faith, they were first scourged and then beheaded on 11 September.

In 1845, Father Marchi discovered the still undisturbed grave of St Hyacinth in a Crypt of the above-mentioned Catacomb. It was a small square niche in which lay the ashes and pieces of burned bone, wrapped in the remains of costly materials. Evidently the Saint had been burnt, a fate which many Martyrs had suffered, either dying by fire or being burnt after death. The niche was closed by a marble slab similar to that used to close a loculus (or tomb) and bearing the original Latin inscription which confirms the date in the old Roman Martyrology, mentioned above.

The day of Protus and Hyacinth’s annual commemoration is mentioned in the “Depositio Martyrum” on 11 September, in the Chronographia for the year 354.

The Chronographia also mentions their graves, in the Coemeterium of Basilla on the Via Salaria, later the Catacomb of St Hermes. The “Itineraries” and other early authorities, likewise give this as their place of burial.