Saint of the Day – 15 September – St Nicomedes (Died c71) Priest and Martyr

Saint of the Day – 15 September – St Nicomedes (Died c71) Priest and Martyr. Died in Rome by being beaten to death wiuth clubs.

The Roman Martyrology reads today: “In Rome, on the Nomentan Way, the birthday of the blessed Nicomedes, Priest and Martyr. As he said to those who would compel him to sacrifice:
“I sacrifice only to the Omnipotent God, who reigns in Heaven.”
He was scourged, for a very long time with leaded whips and thus, went to our Lord.”

Little is known of the early life of this heroic Christian Martyr. What we do know for sure, is derived from the historical texts of Holy Mother Church He is spoken of in the legendary ‘Passio’ of the Saints Nereus and Achilleus composed in the 5th-6th Century, whose Author states that Nicomedes was a Priest.

He was discovered while burying the body of the Martyr Felicola and arrested by a certain Flaccus, Since he refused to sacrifice to the gods, he was subjected to a cruel flagellation, during which he died.

His body was thrown into the Tiber but one of his fellow-clerics ,named Giusto, recovered it and buried it in a small garden along the Via Nomentan.

The Author of the ‘Passio’ does not mention the day of his death but from the context, it can be deduced that he died, at the time of the Emperor Domitian (51-96. Subsequent studies and research have hypothesised 15 September as the day of his death, while another ‘Passio’ of the 7th Century places his death on 1 June under Maximian (240-310).

In any case, the existence and cult of this Martyr Nicomedes are attested by documents worthy of faith, although the biographical information is uncertain. Moreover, he is mentioned in at least eight historical ‘Martyrologies.’ In the ‘Roman’ one, his feast day remained on 15 September.

Already in the 7th Century, it is known that pilgrims venerated the tomb of the Martyr on the Via Nomentan, on which Pope Boniface V (619-625) had a Basilica built which was later restored by Pope Hadrian I (†795).