November 8
Severinus, Roman soldier martyr
Martyr
Roman soldier martyred under Diocletian, whose relics were preserved in a Roman catacomb.
Biography
His memory was associated with the four Roman martyrs of the Via Labicana.
The cult of these martyrs was mixed from the 6th and 7th centuries with the memory of the holy martyrs of Pannonia, the famous "Four Crowned" of the basilica of Monte Celio, whose remains would have been transferred to Rome on the occasion of the barbarian invasions.
This assimilation of cults would explain the name Severinus, equivalent to Severiano, a name attributed to one of the martyrs of Pannonia. The truth is that his memory was celebrated for centuries together with that of those martyrs on November 8.
The remains of Saint Severinus the martyr were granted by Gregory XVI to the Neapolitan church of Saints Francis and Matthew. Cardinal Marcello Mimmi handed them over in 1957 to Opus Dei, which keeps them at its headquarters in Rome. Saint Josemaría Escrivá arranged for them to be placed in a small oratory and advised that, especially on November 8, prayer be made for unity in the Church and among everyone.
Practical advice
Pray today for the unity of the Church and avoid fueling a division with unnecessary comments.