Pontianus of Spoleto
Saint Pontianus | |
---|---|
Roman Catholic Church (Spoleto, Italy; and Utrecht, Netherlands) Old Catholic Church Eastern Orthodox Church | |
Canonized | pre-congregation |
Major shrine | Basilica of San Ponziano, Spoleto, Italy |
Feast | 19 January (14 January in Spoleto) |
Attributes | young man holding a sword |
Patronage | Spoleto, Italy, and Utrecht, Netherlands |
Pontianus (
Life
According to a
Veneration
Basilica of San Ponziano
Pontianus' body was buried in the local cemetery, called di Sincleta, outside the city walls. The
Every year a festival is held in the city to honor Pontianus, its patron. Various services are held starting on the eve of the feast, which culminate in a procession through the streets of the city. Pontianus' skull, preserved in the basilica, is processed for veneration by the people of the city.[1]
Today the complex of basilica and monastery is operated by a community of Canonesses Regular of the Lateran.[5] The canonesses operate the ancient monastery as a religious guesthouse, open to all.[6]
Patron saint of Utrecht
Devotion to Pontianus grew throughout the region. In 966, Bishop Balderic of Utrecht travelled to Rome to present an account of his administration, as required by Church law. He took the opportunity to tour various churches and monasteries, from which he obtained numerous relics of the saints for the churches of his diocese. In the course of this journey, he obtained one of Pontianus' arms, which he had enshrined in his cathedral. As a result, Pontianus was named a co-patron of the diocese.
At the time that the
In 1994 the Primate of the Old Catholic Church returned this relic in a solemn manner to the abbess of the monastery which administers the basilica.[7]
Protection against earthquakes
In Spoleto, Pontianus is invoked for protection against earthquakes. This developed from an ancient tradition that, before his death, the young martyr had predicted that "Spoleto will shake but not will collapse".
In 1703, the first of a
Artwork
Pontianus is one of the 140 saints whose statues adorn St. Peter's Square on top of Bernini's colonnades.
Notes
- ^ a b "Festa di S. Ponziano, patrono di Spoleto". Archidiocesi di Spoleto-Norcia (in Italian). 14 January 2013. Archived from the original on 13 August 2013. Retrieved 13 August 2013.
- ^ a b "Santi e Beati della Diocesi". Archidiocesi di Spoleto-Norcia (in Italian). Archived from the original on 2013-07-27. Retrieved 2013-08-13.
- ^ St. Pontianus Catholic Online
- ^ "Chiesa e Monastero di San Ponziano - Secoli XII-XIII". Comune di Spoleto (in Italian).
- ^ "Monache Canonichesse Regolari Lateranensi". Archidiocesi di Spoleto-Norcia (in Italian). Archived from the original on 2013-08-14.
- ^ "La struttura". Casa religiosa di ospitalità San Panziano (in Italian). Archived from the original on 2013-08-14.
- ^ "Saint Ponziano of Spoleto". Saints.SPQN.com.