h2onews February 13, 2009 February 14th is Saint Valentine's Day, isn't it? No, it's Saints Cyril and Methodius!But just who is St. Valentine? According to tradition, he is of one of the first bishops of Terni, who died as a martyr in the year 273 … [More]

h2onews February 13, 2009 February 14th is Saint Valentine's Day, isn't it? No, it's Saints Cyril and Methodius!But just who is St. Valentine? According to tradition, he is of one of the first bishops of Terni, who died as a martyr in the year 273 AD under the reign of Emperor Claudius II.His name is linked to many legends--probably born in the Middle Ages in France and in England when the day began to be dedicated to lovers--drawn from the stories of the life of St. Valentine, decapitated precisely on February 14th for refusing to renounce Christianity and for having secretly celebrated the marriage of a young Christian and a pagan Legionnaire, despite a prohibition by Claudius II.Even though it continues to be celebrated at a local level in several parishes, the feast of St. Valentine was remp4ed from the liturgical calendar in 1969--the decision having been made to retire the feast days of saints who originated in legend. Up until Vatican II, the Catholic Church dedicated no fewer than 11 days to St. Valentine.This feast was imported by the English to the United States in the 19th Century with the industrial-scale production of little love notes called "valentines".The relics of St. Valentine are actually conserved in the basilica in Terni consecrated to him. In this basilica, every year on the 14th of January, future spouses arrive to confirm their vows.

h2onews February 13, 2009 February 14th is Saint Valentine's Day, isn't it? No, it's Saints Cyril and Methodius!But just who is St. Valentine? According to tradition, he is of one of the first bishops of Terni, who died as a martyr in the year 273 AD under the reign of Emperor Claudius II.His name is linked to many legends--probably born in the Middle Ages in France and in England when the day began to be dedicated to lovers--drawn from the stories of the life of St. Valentine, decapitated precisely on February 14th for refusing to renounce Christianity and for having secretly celebrated the marriage of a young Christian and a pagan Legionnaire, despite a prohibition by Claudius II.Even though it continues to be celebrated at a local level in several parishes, the feast of St. Valentine was remp4ed from the liturgical calendar in 1969--the decision having been made to retire the feast days of saints who originated in legend. Up until Vatican II, the Catholic Church dedicated no fewer than 11 days to St. Valentine.This feast was imported by the English to the United States in the 19th Century with the industrial-scale production of little love notes called "valentines".The relics of St. Valentine are actually conserved in the basilica in Terni consecrated to him. In this basilica, every year on the 14th of January, future spouses arrive to confirm their vows.