Feast Day: July 30
Title: Martyrs of Christ under Emperor Decius
✠ Historical and Spiritual Account:
Saints Abdon and Sennen were noblemen of Persian origin, believed to have converted to Christianity during a time of great persecution under the Roman Emperor Decius (reigned 249–251 AD). According to early traditions, they were captured and brought to Rome as prisoners, likely during one of the Emperor’s military campaigns.
Although Persians by birth, Abdon and Sennen bore themselves as true Roman confessors of the faith. They were known for their charitable care of persecuted Christians, visiting them in prison and burying the bodies of martyrs with reverence — acts considered treasonous under Roman law. Their courage in these deeds became widely known, and they were brought before the Emperor himself.
Despite promises of riches and honors, they refused to renounce Christ or sacrifice to the pagan gods. Their steadfastness enraged Decius, who condemned them to death. They were publicly scourged and then thrown to wild beasts in the Colosseum, but the animals refused to harm them. Eventually, they were killed by the sword — martyred for the Faith — thus sealing their witness with blood.
Their bodies were left unburied in the arena, but devout Christians recovered them and laid them to rest in the cemetery of Pontianus on the Via Portuensis. Later, their relics were transferred to various churches, most notably to the Church of San Marco and then to the Cathedral of Volterra, where they remain honored.
✠ Liturgical and Devotional Significance:
Saints Abdon and Sennen were venerated very early in the Roman Church, as evidenced by their inclusion in ancient martyrologies and the Sacramentary of St. Gregory. Their cult was especially strong in central and southern Europe, particularly in Spain, France, and Italy.
Their feast is celebrated in the Traditional Roman Calendar on July 30, and their names were included in the Martyrologium Romanum. The Missale Romanum (1962) includes a proper Mass for them, highlighting their heroic witness and divine reward.
✠ Lessons and Reflections:
- Fortitude in Faith: These noblemen willingly exchanged worldly status for the glory of martyrdom. Their courage challenges the faithful to value the eternal over the temporal.
- Works of Mercy: Their devotion to the imprisoned and dead reminds us of the corporal works of mercy, particularly in times of persecution or hardship.
- Divine Protection: The miraculous sparing from wild beasts recalls the scriptural truth that God is with His saints, even in death.
✠ Prayer (Collect from the Traditional Latin Mass):
Sanctórum tuórum, Dómine, Abdónis et Sennénis Mártyrum tuórum, nos perpétua protectióne custódi: quia non deseris eos, quos in tua sancta dilectióne constítuis. Per Dóminum nostrum…
Translation:
Protect us always, O Lord, by the intercession of Your holy Martyrs Abdon and Sennen, for You never fail to help those whom You establish in the steadfastness of Your love. Through our Lord Jesus Christ…