Saint of the Day – 3 December – Saint Mirocles (Died c316) Confessor, Bishop

Saint of the Day – 3 December – Saint Mirocles (Died c316) Confessor, the 6th Bishop of Milan from before 313 to c316.. Mirocles was one of the originators of the Ambrosian Liturgy and Chant. His life and works were praised by Saint Ambrose. Unknown birth date butit is thought he was born in Pavia, Italy – he died in Milan on 30 November c316 of natural causes. Also known as – Merocles, Mirocle, Mirocleto.

The Roman Martyrology reads: “At Milan, St Mirocles, Confessor and Bishop, sometimes mentioned by St Ambrose.”

Almost nothing is known about the life of Mirocles. He was elected as the Bishop of Milan before 313 and he reigned until his death in c316. He perhaps was born to a family of Pavia, of which family St Epiphanius would be born over 100 years later as his relative on his mother’s side.

Mirocles was the Bishop of Milan when, in 313, the Emperors Constantine I and Licinius, issued the Edict of Milan which proclaimed the religious toleration in the Roman Empire. After the Edict of Milan, Mirocles started the erection of the Basilica, which was the first Cathedral of the City and, was built on the same site as that occupied today, by the present Cathedral of Milan.

Sources record, the presence of Mirocles at the Lateran Council held in October 313 in Rome, under Pope Miltiades, which took a stand in the Donatism heresy, condemning Donatus Magnus charged to re-baptising those who had lapsed and which sided with Caecilianus, the Bishop of Carthage. Mirocles participated also in the following Council of all the Western Bishops held in Arles on 1 August 314, which confirmed the condemnation of Donatus and ruled in matters regarding Canon Law.

Mirocles possibly also founded the Church of San Vittore al Corpo in Milan (rebuilt many times during the next Centuries) in honour of Saint Victor Maurus, who was Martyred during the terrors of the reign of Emperor Diocletian in c303.

Mirocles died on the 30 November of about 316 but his Feast day was set on 3 December. His body was buried in Milan in the Church of San Vittore al Corpo.