Saint of the Day – 16 March – Saint Agapitus (3rd-4th Century) Bishop and Confessor of Ravenna in Italy.
Also known as – Agapetus, Agapito.
The Roman Martyrology reads today: “At Ravenna, St Agapitus, Bishop and Confessor.”
The main sources of our information on St Agapitus are the Martyrologium Romanum which celebrates his memory today and several brief notes in ancient calendars and Episcopal records.
St Agapitus was the 10th Bishop of Ravenna. He lived between the end of the 3rd Century and the first half of the 4th and the report of his participation in the Council of Rome in 340, convened by Pope Julius I. However, this report has no historical basis. The anachronism is evident: for Saint Agapitus was likely already dead at the time of the council.
The 4th Century was a time of great turmoil for the Church. Constantine’s Edict of 313 had established freedom of worship, paving the way for a new era of prosperity. However, new heresies and theological controversies threatened to divide the Christian community.
In this context, St Agapitus distinguished himself as a zealous and wise Shepherd. His reputation for sanctity is linked to his dedication to the Gospel, his care for the poor and his commitment to defending the One True Faith.
Until the 10th Century, St Agapitus remained buried in the cemetery adjacent to the Basilica Probi di Classe. In 963, Archbishop Peter IV exhumed his Relics and transferred them to the Basilica of Ravenna.
But his cult only began to establish itself around the 11th Century, when the legend of the miraculous election through the descent of a dove upon the candidate’s head. It was Archbishop Filippo Fòntana (1250-1270) who, above all, spread and cared for the cult of our Saint Agapitus.
AnaStpaul 