Saint of the Day – 6 November – St Severus (Died c633) Bishop and Martyr of Barcelona, Spain. Patronage – of Barcelona. Also known as – Severo.
The Roman Martyrology reads today: “At Barce;ona, St Severus, Bishop and Martyr, who had his head pierced with a nail and thus received the crown of Martyrdom for the Faith.”
Severus, Bishop of Barcelona, was mentioned in 633. In some cases, he is considered the 11th Bishop of the Diocese, although his existence as a Bishop and Martyr is shrouded in doubt.
A ‘Passio’ dating to the 13th-14th Century is extant. This text, states that Severus was Martyred during the persecution of Diocletian and Maximian. The period of this persecution, however, does not correspond to the period in which Saint Severus was mentioned as the Bishop of Barcelona.
However, the tale states that Saint Severus, urged to worship idols, managed to escape. When a Christian named Emeterio, accused of concealing his escape, was captured, Severus then presented himself voluntarily to the Governor. Imprisoned, he was tortured along with four Clerics accompanying him.
All six received the Crown of Martyrdom and the locals buried them in the village Church.
Our only verified information regarding our Saint is that he is mentioned as the Bishop of Barcelona om around 633.
His first mention occurs in the 17th Century and later in the Roman Martyrology. His Feast is celebrated in Barcelona, on 9 August, the date of the translation of his Relics in 1405.
AnaStpaul 