Saint of the Day – 20 October – Saint Caprasius (Died c303) Martyr of Agen. Born in France and died there by being beheaded in c303. Born in France he is known as St Capraise. Some sources consider him to have been the 1st Bishop of Agen but there are no records to substantiate this claim. However, St Caprasius is most often depicted as a Bishop.
The Roman Martyrology reads today: “At Agen in France, St Caprasius, Martyr. As he was hiding himself in a cavern, to avoid the violence of the persecution, the report of the blessed virgin Faith’s courage in suffering for Christ, animated him to endure torments and he prayed to God that, if he were deemed worthy of the glory of Martyrdom, clear water might flow from the rock of his cavern. God, having granted his prayer, he went with confidence to the scene of combat and, after a valiant struggle, merited the Palm of Martyrdom under Maximian.”
On 20 October, in the additions to the Martyrology of St Jerome, Caprasius is commemorated, to whom, as St Gregory of Tours recalls, a Church was dedicated which later, after various vicissitudes and following the Concordat of 1801, became the Cathedral of Agen.
Unfortunately, information regarding Caprasius has been transmitted through hagiographic legends no earlier than the 9th Century, in which it is difficult to distinguish truth from embellishment. In a 10th Century codice, there is a Passion of Caprasius which, however, is a pure and simple reproduction of that of St Symphorian of Autun; in general, however, all the other codici narrate the events of Caprasius together with those of St Faith, also a Martyr in Agen.
According to these texts, therefore, Caprasius, to escape Diocletian’s persecution, had retreated to a cave. Upon learning of Faith’s Martyrdom, he desired to share it and, encouraged by a miracle, presented himself to the Judge Dacianus, who, flattering him, initially tried to persuade him to apostatise but then, seeing his steadfastness, handed him over to the executioners.
While the Martyr was being tortured, two brothers, Primus and Felicianus, converted and, along with Faith and Caprasius, were beheaded on 6 October. The bodies of the four, displayed in a square, were stolen by Christians and buried honourably. They were later transferred by Bishop Dulcitius, to the Church dedicated to the Virgin Mary.
After the discovery of the body (5th Century), the cult of St Caprasius flourished, so much so that, in the 14th Century, he was considered the 1st Bishop of Agen.
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