Feast Day: January 22
Commemorated in the Roman Martyrology
Introduction
The Church, in her ancient wisdom, commemorates many saints on January 22, but among them are Saint Vincent of Saragossa, a deacon and martyr, and Saint Anastasius the Persian, a soldier turned monk and martyr. Although they are venerated on the same day, they suffered in different places and at different times. Their joint commemoration in the liturgical calendar is a testimony to the unity of the Church in honoring her martyrs.
Saint Vincent of Saragossa († c. 304)
Deacon and Protomartyr of Spain
Life and Martyrdom
Saint Vincent was a deacon of the Church in Saragossa, Spain, serving under Bishop Valerius during the persecution of Christians under Emperor Diocletian. While Bishop Valerius had a speech impediment, Vincent, known for his eloquence and zeal, often spoke on his behalf and preached the Gospel.
In the year 304, Vincent and Bishop Valerius were arrested and brought before the Roman governor, Dacian. While the bishop was exiled, Vincent was subjected to horrendous tortures because of his refusal to renounce the Faith. He was scourged, stretched on the rack, burned with hot irons, and imprisoned in a cell strewn with broken pottery. Yet he bore all these torments with such serenity that many of the pagans were astonished and moved to conversion.
After many torments, Vincent finally gave up his soul to God. His body was thrown into the sea but was later recovered by Christians and buried with reverence. His martyrdom is one of the earliest and most detailed from Spain, and he is honored as its protomartyr.
Legacy
Saint Vincent’s cult spread rapidly throughout the Western Church, particularly in Spain, Gaul, and Africa. Saint Augustine preached several sermons in his honor, and his name is mentioned in the Roman Canon (Eucharistic Prayer I), a rare honor.
Saint Anastasius the Persian († 628)
Monk and Martyr
Life and Martyrdom
Saint Anastasius was born in Persia, the son of a Magian priest during the reign of Chosroes II. He served in the army and took part in the sack of Jerusalem in 614. There he encountered Christian relics, including the True Cross, and began to inquire into the Faith. Deeply moved by the Christian witness and the mysteries of the Cross, Anastasius left the army and went to the Holy Land, where he was baptized and received the name Anastasius (“Resurrection”).
He joined the monastic community of Saint Sabas near Jerusalem, where he lived in penance and prayer for seven years. Wishing to suffer for Christ, he traveled to Caesarea in Palestine to publicly profess the Faith, knowing it would mean his death under the Persian authorities.
He was arrested, tortured for many days, and finally strangled and beheaded near Nineveh in the year 628, along with seventy other Christians.
Legacy
Saint Anastasius’s martyrdom was recorded in a detailed Greek Acta, translated early into Latin. His relics were transferred to Rome and placed in the Basilica of Saints Vincent and Anastasius at the Tre Fontane, a church still standing today. Devotion to him spread throughout the Latin and Eastern Churches.
Liturgical Commemoration
On January 22, the Roman Martyrology commemorates both:
- In Saragossa in Spain, the martyrdom of Saint Vincent, deacon and martyr, who, under Dacian the governor, suffered grievous torments for the Faith.
- In Persia, the holy martyr Anastasius, a monk, who, after cruel torments, received the crown of martyrdom.
The Church joins them in a single liturgical remembrance, not because of earthly association, but due to their shared participation in the Passion of Christ.
Spiritual Reflection
Saint Vincent and Saint Anastasius, though from different lands and centuries, shared a unity of faith, courage, and desire to suffer for Christ. Their lives testify to the universality of the Church and the power of grace that triumphs over persecution.
Their relics lie side by side in the church at Rome, a visible reminder that the martyrs from all nations are united in heaven under the Lamb.
Prayer (from the Traditional Roman Missal)
Collect for Saint Vincent (January 22):
O God, who didst strengthen blessed Vincent, Thy Martyr, with unconquerable constancy in the confession of the Faith, grant that, despising all temporal prosperity, we may always be sustained by those things that are eternal. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Collect for Saint Anastasius (Commemoration):
Grant, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, that the examples of Thy holy Martyrs may encourage us to a better life: that we may imitate the deeds of those whose solemn memory we celebrate. Through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.