San Sebastian

San (Saint) Sebastian was born in southern France sometime around AD 256. He was martyred twice and died in AD 288 at the age of 32. His Feast Day is 20 January in the Anglican and Catholic Church (18 December in the Orthodox). He is the patron saint of soldiers, archers, and athletes. Some sources claim he was born in Narbonne, Gaul, France but one thing is for certain and that is he died in Rome on orders of the Roman emperor Diocletian.

Sebastian left the south of France and went to Milan, Italy and later on to Rome herself where he joined the Roman Legions and eventually became a Captain in the Praetorian Guard. He was a Christian and it is believed he joined the Roman Army in order to help his fellow Christians. Being Christian at this time was a capital crime in Rome and Diocletian was well known for his persecution of Christians and those suspected of being so.

While serving in the Praetorian Guard two brothers named Marcus and Marcellian who were twins were imprisoned for their refusal to make public sacrifices to the Roman gods. These twins were Deacons in the Christian Church which was underground at the time. One day their parents visited them imploring them to renounce Christianity. Sebastian met them in the prison and he converted the parents to Christianity. He also converted the local Prefect of Rome.

These actions led to the discovery by the emperor Diocletian that Sebastian was a “secret Christian” in AD 286. The emperor became enraged and scolded and mocked Sebastian severely in front of his fellow soldiers. Diocletian ordered Sebastian to be killed by having him tied to a post on a military training field and used as target practice. Roman archers riddled his body with arrows and descriptions of the horrible spectacle report that his naked body was “bull of arrows like an urchin.” This was the first martyrdom of San Sebastian.

Thought to be dead Sebastian’s naked body was left to rot on the post. Saint Irene of Rome came to retrieve the body and discovered Sebastian was not yet dead so she took him to a place, hid him, and nursed him back to health. However, once well Sebastian went in search of the emperor! He found Diocletian near a stairwell and began mocking him and shouting at him. Of course Diocletian was in a state of shock as he thought Sebastian was dead.

Recovering his composure the emperor summed his guards who then seized the ranting Sebastian. Diocletian ordered the guards to beat Sebastian to death with clubs and then throw his lifeless body into the sewer systems of Rome. The guards carried out the emperor’s orders. This was the second martyrdom of Sebastian.

Sebastian’s corpse was recovered by another Christian woman by the name of Lucina. She secretly buried Sebastian in the catacombs beneath the Imperial City of Rome. Sometime around AD 367 his remains were moved to a basilica in Rome erected by Pope Damascus I. Eventually, his relics were removed and shared with a monastic community in France but his cranium was sent to Germany to another monastery there. The cranium was put in a silver case in AD 934 and it remains in that case today in Ebersburg, Germany.

Artists typically portray St. Sebastian shirtless or nude with his body riddled by arrows. He’s often depicted as tied to a tree or post. St Sebastian is the patron saint of soldiers, athletes, and those who wish a saintly death. He’s also known as a martyr and a healer.

We have chose St Sebastian as one of our two patron saints of our Holy Order because he is a model for Biblical masculinity.