Saint of the Day – 24 November – Saint Protasius (Died c352) Bishop of Milan, Defender of St Athanasius against the Arians. Also known as – Protasius Algisi, Protasio…
The Roman Martyrology reads today: “At Milan, St Protasius, the Bishop, who defended the cause of Athanasius before the Emperor Constans, in the Council of Sardica. Having sustained many labours for the Church entrusted to him and for religion, he departed this life to go to the Lord.”
Protasius was the 8th Bshop of Milan. He is attributed with twenty-five years of Episcopal service to the Diocese of Milan which however, should be reduced to approximately ten, since the 7th Bishop, Mirocle, was present at the Council of Arles in 314 and the 10th, Dionigi, was deposed in 355.
St Athanasius states that he was received in Milan by the Emperor Constans in the company of the Bishop, Protasius (Apologia ad Constantium): this event would have occurred in 342-343; furthermore, St Athanasius also remembers our Protasius as a participant in the Council of Sardica (343-344; Apologia).
According to the ancient catalogues, Protasius died on 24 November (some records believe he died on 27 November) and was buried in the Milanese Basilica of St Vittore. We are unable to ascertain, with certainty, whether it was during his Episcopate or that of his successor, Eustorgio I, that the two Councils of 345 and 347-348 were held in Milan, which culminated in the condemnation of Photinus, the Bishop of Sirmium, a supporter of Arianism.
AnaStpaul 