Saint of the Day – 13 April – Saint Ursus (Died c425) Bishop of Ravenna, in which Office he remained for 26 years. Born in Sicily in Italy and died in Ravenna, Italy of natural causes on 13 April in around 425. Patronages – of Furriers and Tanners, against kidney diseases, against fainting. Also known as – Ursianus, Orso, Ours. Additional Feast – Easter Sunday in Ravenna.
Ursus, was the son of noble Sicilian parents, whom it is believed were pagans. Ursus fled Sicily after his conversion to Christianity in order to avoid their anger against him.
According to the list of Bishops, in c399, Ursus became the 16th Bishop of Ravenna, successor to St Liberius III and the predecessor of St Peter Chrysologus (c400-450), (Doctor of the Church).
He had the Church of the Resurrection built – later named the Basilica of Ursiano after him. He Consecrated it on Easter Sunday in 384. This became the Cathedral, which in the 18th Century, had to make way for the present one.
Ursus also began construction of the associated Baptistery —named after his successor, who Consecrated the completed building.
When, in 402, the Royal Court was moved from Milan to Ravenna, he moved the Bishop’s Seat back from Classe to his Basilica in the City.
Ursus died after twenty six years of Episcopate on 13 April, around 425. His memory is, however, celebrated in Ravenna on Easter Sunday, the anniversary of his dedication of the Basilica Ursiano, He was buried in his Basilica.
Tradition has it that Ursus was of Sicilian origin, a factor which would explain the spread of the cult of Sicilian Saints in Ravenna since the 5th Century.
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