2023-07-20 04:39:00
July 19, 2023 / 9:39 p.m.
This July 20, the Catholic Church celebrates the bishop and martyr Saint Apolinar, who was a disciple of Saint Peter. The saint became well known at the beginning of Christianity for performing acts as prodigious as the Apostles themselves.
Tradition tells that San Apollinaris and San Pedro met in Antioch, located in present-day Turkey, when the Apostle went there to evangelize. Apollinaris left paganism and decided to follow the primacy of the Church to Rome.
Saint Peter sent him to Ravenna, northeast Italy, becoming the first bishop of the area.
Nearby there remains until now the town of Classe, where there was a mute. When the saint arrived at his house to heal him, a demon-possessed woman appeared to him.
The possessed woman sought to prevent him from entering by shouting at him: “Get out of here, servant of God! Leave immediately, or I will have you bound hand and foot, and expelled from the city!”
San Apollinaris caught the demon’s attention and expelled it, freeing the woman. He then approached the mute, prayed to the Lord and the disabled person began to speak. It is said that more than 500 men embraced the faith after this prodigy.
The demon did not stay calm and the angry pagans hit the saint very hard, threatening him: “Don’t you dare say the name of Jesus in this city again!” But the brave Apollinaris only answered them: “Jesus is the true God!”
The wicked continued to torture him and threw him on burning coals, but as they saw that he kept announcing Jesus, they decided to throw him out of the city.
A nobleman from Ravenna, named Rufus, ordered his servants to locate Apollinaris, since his daughter was very ill. When the saint set foot in the house, the young woman died. Immediately Rufus, full of sadness, blamed Apollinaris and saw all this as a punishment from his gods.
“Rufo, calm down; be calm and listen. Swear to me that if your daughter is resurrected, you will not in any way oppose her following her Creator, ”Apolinar told him.
The nobleman became engaged, the saint prayed to the Lord, and the young woman came back to life. Then she, her mother, and others became Christians. In addition, the daughter took a vow of virginity.
Caesar then ordered Apollinaris to worship idols. The saint refused and was subjected to various punishments and sufferings. This greatly angered the Christians, who in a revolt killed more than 200 pagans.
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The authorities expelled San Apollinaris in a ship, but after being shipwrecked, he returned to Ravenna. He was again caught and taken to the temple of Apollo. Upon entering the enclosure, the saint looked at the image of the pagan god, cursed it, and the object was destroyed.
Many other prodigies were performed by San Apollinaris, who later died a martyr after being caught and beaten by unbelievers.
Abel Camasca is a social communicator. He was for many years a producer for EWTN News and the program “More than News” on World Catholic Radio.
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