Expeditus
This article is missing information about historian's views as whether or not this person was historical or legendary.(April 2022) |
Saint Expeditus | |
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Patronage | emergencies; expeditious solutions; against procrastination; merchants; revolutionaries; navigators |
Expeditus (died 303), also known as Expedite, was said to have been a
Hagiography
Expeditus was probably born in Armenia. He was a Christian martyr, but not much else is known about him.[citation needed] Information concerning Expeditus is found in the Hieronymian Martyrology,[1] where he appears as one of six Roman soldiers said to have been executed at Melitene during the Diocletianic Persecution. If he was stationed at Melitene at the beginning of the fourth century, he would likely have been a member of the Legio XII Fulminata.[2]
The earliest indication of devotion to St. Expeditus comes only from the second half of the eighteenth century.
Given that "Expeditus" is Latin for a soldier without marching pack, i.e. a soldier with light equipment, this saint may be an anonymous individual known by his profession. His cult was already developed in Turin, Italy, in the Middle Ages.
Roman Catholic veneration
Legends
According to tradition, Expeditus was a
Expeditus was included in martyrologies in Italy before 1781. There was a tradition that Expeditus could be called upon to help settle overly long legal cases. His
Many stories circulated about the origin of the cultus of Expeditus. One states that it began when a package marked expedite (meaning 'be ready' or alternately 'loosen') arrived with unidentified relics or statues. The recipients assumed that the statuary or relics belonged to an Expeditus, and so veneration began. Such an account is set in France in 1781. A case containing the relics of a saint, who was formerly buried in the Denfert-Rochereau catacombs of Paris, was delivered at a convent in the city. The senders had written expédit on the case, to ensure fast delivery of the remains. The nuns assumed that "Expédit" was the name of a martyr, and prayed for his intercession. When their prayers were answered, veneration spread rapidly through France and on to other Roman Catholic countries.[3]
Another version of the story takes place in
Iconographical depiction
Expeditus' typical depiction in artwork is as a young Roman centurion. The soldier is squashing a crow beneath his right foot and bearing a clock in early images. Later depictions have Expeditus holding a cross, inscribed with the
) emerges from the crow's mouth.Although in the English language a crow's cry is rendered as "caw caw", in Italian the sound is "cra cra",[5] and the Latin version was "cras cras".
Réunion Island
Expédit has a significant folk following on the French island of Réunion off the east coast of Africa in the Indian Ocean. Stories about the origin of his veneration follow the typical formula: a mysterious parcel marked with expedit arrived as an aid to instill pious virtues in the people.[6] Another version says that Expédit acquired his name through his help in placing vengeful curses. Decapitated statues of the saint are often found, the defacement inflicted in anger for a request not carried out, or in order to break an existing curse.[6]
Road-side altars dedicated to Expédit can be as small as a box containing a small statue of the saint, or as large as a hut, containing multiple statues, candles, and flowers. In all cases, these altars are painted a bright red.[3] Also common are ex-votos thanking Expédit for wishes granted and favors received.
In Réunion, the cult of Saint Expédit has been syncretic, associating him with goddess Kali,[7] with Roman Catholicism absorbing other beliefs from Madagascar or India. Expédit is a popular saint, revered by Reunionnais regardless of age or religion. As the worship of Expédit is officially considered taboo, people do not generally visit the altars in the open. But, the altars are widespread on the island and obviously well-tended, showing that the cult is active.
Churches in the world
There are churches dedicated to Expeditus all over the world:
- Argentina[8]
- Austria
- Brazil
- Bolivia
- Chile
- Colombia
- Ecuador
- France
- Germany
- Mexico
- Nicaragua
- Peru
- Philippines
- Réunion Island
- Russia
- Spain
- Turkey
- United States
- Uruguay
- Venezuela
Chile
Himnos mil al glorioso Expedito, |
A thousand hymns to glorious Expeditus, |
Veneration in Chile is said to have begun when a devotee of Expeditus (or locally in Spanish, San Expedito) brought an image of him to Viña del Mar, one of the most popular beach cities of Chile. She petitioned some local priests for help to have a small church built for him. It is said that local authorities initially rejected the idea, but the priests and the devout lady prayed to Expeditus, and in less than nine days they had the approval. Since then, the cult of San Expedito has become increasingly popular in Chile; from rich to poor, people pray novenas to him. The shrine in the Reñaca sector of Viña is a rather popular pilgrimage site, especially during summer.[citation needed]
References
- ^ a b Kuefler, Matthew. "The Convertible Saint: Expeditus Through Time and Space", Journal of Religious History, Vol. 42, No. 1, March 2018 doi: 10.1111/1467-9809.12408
- ^ M’Elderry, R. Knox. "The Legions of the Euphrates Frontier", Classical Quarterly 3 (1909): 44–53
- ^ a b "Saint Expeditus", La Reunion
- ^ Zibart, Eve (12 September 2005). "Saints Alive! The Eternal Nawlins". The Washington Post. Washington D.C. Retrieved 8 March 2010.
- ^ "cra cra - traduzione in inglese - dizionario italiano-inglese di bab.la".
- ^ a b Harvey, Keri (12 June 2007). "Wild Island Reunion". Expressions magazine. Retrieved 6 December 2007.
- ^ Suryanarayan, V. (12 October 2018). "Tamils In Re-Union: Losing Cultural Identity - Analysis". Eurasia Review. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
Saint Expedit, worshipped locally, is identified with Goddess Kali.
- ^ One of the Saint Expeditus churches is in Bahía Blanca Street, between Avellaneda Avenue and Bogotá Street, in the city of Buenos Aires.Source: «Saint Expeditus churchs» Archived 8 May 2017 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Vilagrán, Ángel Rodríguez. "San Expedito". El Ángel de la Web (in Spanish). Retrieved 6 December 2007.
Further reading
- Nelson, Thomas A. (2006). Catholic Prayers. TAN Books and Publishers. ISBN 0-89555-595-6. A booklet that contains a prayer and novenalitany to Expedit.
- Alvarado, Denise (2014). The Conjurer's Guide to St. Expedite. Creole Moon Publications. ISBN 978-1494301521.
External links
- Media related to Expeditus at Wikimedia Commons
- San Expeditus Site
- San Expeditus Web