Saint Sebastian, martyr

St. Sebastian is known as a Roman martyr. The details of his life can be debated, but what is certain is the act of his martyrdom. He was buried on the Via Appia, a historical fact highlighted in the "Depositio martyrum."

Origins and Journey

St. Ambrose suggests that he was born in Milan, a place where he was venerated even during St. Ambrose's time. The Acts, an ancient document, tell us more about Sebastian’s life, though these are likely written later around the 5th century. The Acts reveal that Sebastian was an officer in the Imperial bodyguard and had done numerous acts of love and charity for his Christian brothers and sisters, all done in secret.

Martyrdom and Iconography

His faith was discovered in 286, and he was ordered to be killed by archers from Mauretania. Miraculously healed by the widowed St. Irene, he was later killed by the blows of a club. Again, historical accuracy of these stories can't be confirmed, and are not worthy of belief. The common depiction of St. Sebastian as a young man riddled with arrows emerged during the Renaissance. The first known mosaic of St. Sebastian from the year 682 portrays a bearded man without any arrows.

Legacy

In 367, a basilica, now listed as one of Rome's seven principal churches, was constructed over his burial site. The present church got its final touches in 1611 by Scipio Cardinal Borghese. Some of his relics were transported to St. Medard in Soissons in the year 826.

Patronage and Feast

St. Sebastian has been deemed a protector against the plague with several instances of his intervention recorded during outbreaks in Rome, Milan, and Lisbon. His feast day, as we remember his sanctity and courage, comes on the 20th of January.