Adrian and Natalia of Nicomedia
Adrian and Natalia of Nicomedia | |
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Saint Adrian and his wife, Saint Natalia
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Martyrs | |
Died | 4 March 306 Nicomedia[1] |
Venerated in | Roman Catholic Church Eastern Orthodox Church |
Major shrine | Argyropolis near Constantinople; Geraardsbergen, Belgium; Church of St Adriano al Foro, Rome[2] |
Feast | 8 September (historic Julian Calendar) 26 August (Revised Julian calendar)[3] 1 December[4] |
Attributes | depicted armed, with an anvil in his hands or at his feet |
Patronage | plague, epilepsy, arms dealers, butchers, guards, soldiers |
Saint Adrian (also known as Hadrian) or Adrian of Nicomedia (died 4 March 306)[2] was a Herculian Guard of the Roman Emperor Galerius Maximian. After becoming a convert to Christianity with his wife Natalia, Adrian was martyred at Nicomedia.[2]
Martyrdom
Ss. Adrian and Natalia lived in Nicomedia during the time of Emperor Maximian in the early fourth century.[3] The twenty-eight-year-old Adrian was head of the praetorium.
It is said that while presiding over the torture of a band of Christians, he asked them what reward they expected to receive from God. They replied, "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him" (1 Corinthians 2:9). He was so amazed at their courage that he publicly confessed his faith, though he had not himself yet been baptised. He was then immediately imprisoned himself. He was forbidden visitors, but accounts state that his wife Natalia came to visit him dressed as a boy to ask for his prayers when he entered Heaven.[5]
The executioners wanted to burn the bodies of the dead, but a storm arose and quenched the fire.[6] Natalia recovered one of Adrian's hands.
Historicity
The accuracy of the recorded story has been questioned. Some sources state that there were actually two Adrians martyred at Nicomedia, one under Diocletian, and one under Licinius.[5]
Feast day and patronage
In the Eastern Orthodox Church, Saint Hadrian shares a feast day with his wife on August 26 (Revised Julian Calendar), which is on 8 September (on the historic Julian calendar); he also has feast days alone on 4 March. In the Roman Catholic Church he is venerated alone, without his wife, on 8 September.[7]
Saint Hadrian is protector against the plague, and patron of blacksmiths, old soldiers, arms dealers, butchers and communications phenomena.[citation needed] He was the chief military saint of Northern Europe for many ages, second only to St. George, and is much revered in Flanders, Germany and the north of France. He is usually represented armed, with an anvil in his hands or at his feet.
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References
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "St. Natalia, Martyr", Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ "Martyr Adrian of Nicomedia", Orthodox Church in America
- ↑ Martyrologium Romanum (Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2001 ISBN 88-209-7210-7)
Further reading
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- Pages with broken file links
- Pages with numeric Bible version references
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- Members and leaders of the Praetorian Guard
- Saints from Anatolia
- Married couples
- Converts to Christianity from pagan religions
- 4th-century Christian martyrs
- 4th-century Romans
- Late Ancient Christian female saints
- 3rd-century births
- 306 deaths