Saint of the Day – 18 May – St Felix (Died c304) Bishop of Spoleto in Italy, Martyr. Martyred in the persecutions of Diocletian in Salona, Dalmatia. Also known as – Felix of Epetium, of Martana, of Spalato, of Spello, of Split, of Stobrec, Felice…
The Roman Martyrology reads today: “At Spoleto, St Felix, a Bishop, who obtained the Palm of Martyrdom under the Emperors Diocletian and Maximian.”
The “Prologus Paschae” written in 395, tells of Bishop Felix’s Martyrdom in Salona, not in Spoleto, during the persecution of Diocletian and Maximian. Here we read: “During the consulship of Diocletian and Maximian, … the Christians suffered the sixth persecution.”
The testimony of the Prologus is, at this point, confirmed by contemporary documents and can be accepted without fear, with the exception of the consular date which evidently must be brought back to at least the year 303, the beginning of the persecution.
Felix’s cult is still alive in Split, the ancient Salona, where, in the Franciscan Church his Relics are preserved and he has been celebrated since time immemorial on 18 May. On the same day the Saint is honoured in Stobrec, formerly Epetium, a few miles from Split, in the vicinity of which the ruins of a Church dedicated to him have been brought to light. Stobrec too, considers him one of its ancient Bishops but wrongly, because the Town was never an Episcopal Seat.
In the Martyrology of the 9th Century, on 18th May we find this eulogy:
“On the same day, Saint Felix, Bishop, who obtained the Palm of Martyrdom at the City of Spelle, under the Emperor Maximian.” The same name and the same day of veneration (18 May) as Felice di Spalato. This and other circumstances have led the best scholars, to conclude that Felice di Spello is, in reality, nothing more than the namesake of Spalato and it is probable that the assonance of the words had, as has occurred in many other cases, its share of blame in the genesis of the error. Certainly it was only because of the similarity that Baronio (he himself confesses it) created Felice the Bishop of Spoleto.
In addition to Epetium, Spello and Spoleto, Felice was considered the Bishop of Martana, another Diocese which never existed, where he is celebrated on 30 October. The passio of Felice of Martana is identical, except for the topographical notes, to that of Felice of Spello. Furthermore, since Martana is located in the territory of Todi, the historians of the latter City, since Felice could not have been the Bishop of Martana, assigned him the Seat of Todi.
AnaStpaul 