Saint Gorgonius, Martyr
S. Gorgonii Martyris
Saint Gorgonius was a martyr of the early Church, honoured among those who gave their lives for Christ in the great persecution under the Emperor Diocletian.
On the ninth of September the Church commemorates Saint Gorgonius, a martyr of the first ages of the faith. He is named in the ancient martyrologies among those who suffered death for Christ during the persecution of the Emperor Diocletian, at the opening of the fourth century — the last and fiercest of the trials by which the early Church was tested.
A witness of the early Church
Of the life of Saint Gorgonius little can be told with certainty. Tradition associates him with the household of the emperor and numbers him among the officials of the court who, when the persecution broke out, openly confessed their faith and refused to deny Christ, and were therefore put to death. His memory was held in honour at Rome, where his relics came to be venerated, and his name was inscribed in the Roman calendar from early times.
Where the records are scant, the Church is content to honour what is certain: that Saint Gorgonius confessed Christ and sealed his confession with his blood. He stands among that great company of the martyrs who, in an age when to be a Christian might cost one’s life, counted fidelity to the Lord dearer than safety or honour. Their courage was not their own, but the gift of grace; and in keeping their memory the Church gives thanks for the strength which God supplies to his faithful in the hour of trial.
The Collect
Patronage
He is venerated as an early martyr of the Roman Church.
In the Modern Calendar
In the modern calendar this commemoration is no longer kept on the universal calendar.
Common Questions
When is the feast of Saint Gorgonius?
His commemoration is kept on 9 September in the calendar of the 1962 Roman Missal, as a Fourth Class feast. In the modern calendar it is no longer observed on the universal calendar.
Who was Saint Gorgonius?
He was a martyr of the early Church who is honoured among those who suffered death for Christ in the persecution of the Emperor Diocletian, at the beginning of the fourth century. Little is known of his life with certainty; tradition associates him with the imperial household, and his memory was venerated at Rome.
Why does the Church honour martyrs of whom little is known?
The Church honours the martyrs not for the details of their lives, which are often lost, but for their witness: that they confessed Christ and gave their lives rather than deny him. In remembering Saint Gorgonius and his like, the faithful give thanks for the grace by which God strengthened his servants in the age of persecution, and profess their communion with all the saints.
See where this feast falls in the Church’s year on the liturgical calendar, or find a Traditional Latin Mass near you.
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