Fast, concise facts and information about Saint Sebastian The following provides fast and concise facts and information: - The patron of archers, soldiers, athletes including runners and pin-makers
- Saviour against pestilence and plague
- Memorial Day / Feast Day: January 20th
- Born at Narbonne in Gaul
- Date of Death: Saint Sebastian died in 268
- Cause of Death: Beaten to Death
- He was shot with arrows, and left for dead but he survived and nursed back to health. He then returned to preach to Diocletian, the Roman emperor who had him beaten to death in Rome
Who or what is Saint Sebastian the patron saint of? Saint Sebastian is the patron of archers, soldiers and pin-makers. Meanings, definition and origins - a patron is considered to be a defender of a specific group of people or of a nation. There is a patron for virtually every cause, profession or special interest. Prayers are considered more likely to be answered by asking a patron for intercession on their behalf. Prayer to St. Sebastian - Patron Saint of Soldiers Death of Saint Sebastian There are two categories of saints: martyrs and confessors. A Christian martyr is regarded as one who is put to death for his Christian faith or convictions. Confessors are people who died natural deaths. Date of Death: Saint Sebastian died in 268. Cause of Death - Beaten to Death. Why is Saint Sebastian the patron of archers, soldiers and pin-makers? Why is Saint Sebastian is the patron of archers, soldiers and pin-makers? St. Sebastian was bound to a stake and made a target for arrows, which stuck so thickly in his body that it resembled a pin-cushion. For this reason both archers and pin-makers claim him as their patron. He is also the patron of soldiers, because he was a centurion, or leader of a hundred Roman soldiers. Roman women held Saint Sebastian in great veneration on account of his youth, courage and beauty of person. Above all, he is regarded as the saviour against pestilence and plague. In the year 680 a terrible scourge ravaged the city of Rome for three months, at the end of which time it was revealed to a holy monk that if an altar were set up in honour of St. Sebastian the martyr, the pestilence would be stayed. This was done, and, accordingly, by the saint's intercession, the plague disappeared from the city. How Saint Sebastian is represented in Christian Art It is helpful to be able to recognise Saint Sebastian in paintings, stained glass windows, illuminated manuscripts, architecture and other forms of Christian art. The artistic representations reflect the life or death of saints, or an aspect of life with which the person is most closely associated. Saint Sebastian is represented in Christian Art bound to a tree or stake, with a multitude of arrows piercing his naked body.
Feast Day of Saint Sebastian The Feast Day of Saint Sebastian is January 20th. The origin of Feast Days: most saints have specially designated feast days and are associated with a specific day of the year and these are referred to as the saint's feast day. The feast days first arose from the very early Christian custom of the annual commemoration of martyrs on the dates of their deaths at the same time celebrating their birth into heaven. |