Saint Lawrence of Brindisi, Priest and Doctor of the Church

Saint Apollinaris of Ravenna was born in Syria, likely in Antioch, and came to be remembered as a courageous shepherd of the early Church. Tradition holds that he was a disciple of Saint Peter, who consecrated and sent him as the first bishop of Ravenna. For many years he labored to bring the Gospel to the people of Emilia-Romagna, especially around the port of Classe, nurturing a young Christian community in a time of suspicion and hostility. His preaching and reputed miracles drew many to Christ, but also provoked repeated persecutions. Accounts describe him beaten, tortured, imprisoned, and driven into exile more than once; yet he returned again and again to strengthen his flock. At last, near Classe, he suffered a final brutal assault and died after several days, steadfast in hope and foretelling that the Church would ultimately triumph. Venerated as a martyr and wonder-worker, he is honored as patron of Ravenna and the region of Emilia-Romagna. His feast day is July 20.

Saint Praxedes was born in Rome, into the household of Saint Pudens, a Roman senator who had been converted to Christ through Saint Peter. With her sister, Saint Pudentiana, she grew up in a family transformed by faith and, after inheriting their fortune, chose to spend it in mercy. In the early persecutions of the Church, Praxedes became a quiet refuge for the suffering: she sheltered Christians in her home, visited and supported those imprisoned or forced into slavery, and ensured that the poor and the persecuted lacked nothing. With tender courage, she and her sister also recovered and buried the bodies of martyrs, honoring them when the world treated them as refuse. Praxedes died young, around the year 165, remembered as a virgin and honored in Rome as a martyr from the earliest centuries of Christian devotion. Her memory is especially cherished at the Basilica of Saint Praxedes, built on the site associated with her home. She is invoked as patroness of Petra. Her feast day is July 21.

Saint Procopius of Scythopolis was born in Jerusalem and later made his home in Scythopolis in Palestine. There he served the Church with humble fidelity, holding several ministries: he was a reader and interpreter in the Syriac language, and he was entrusted with the work of exorcism, bringing relief to those afflicted by evil spirits. Known also for his ascetic life and theological learning, Procopius shone as a witness to Christ during the fierce persecution under the Emperor Diocletian. According to the earliest account, he and his companions were taken from Scythopolis to Caesarea Maritima, where Procopius confessed the faith without fear and was condemned to death. He sealed his testimony with martyrdom by decapitation in the early fourth century, offering his life in union with the Lord he proclaimed. Devotion to him spread widely, with churches raised in his honor and his relics venerated by the faithful. He is honored as patron of Fiesco and San Procopio. His feast day is celebrated on July 21.

Saint Arbogast, born sometime in the 600s—his homeland variously remembered as Ireland or Scotland, Aquitaine, or Francia—came as a missionary to the Frankish lands and became one of the earliest bishops of Strasbourg. Though few details can be known with certainty, he was cherished from the early Middle Ages as the saint who helped root the Christian faith in Alsace, so much so that his name became beloved throughout the region. Later tradition tells of his friendship with the Merovingian king Dagobert, who appointed him bishop. Arbogast was renowned for holiness and for wonders worked through prayer. One famous account describes him raising the king’s son, Sigebert, after a fatal accident while hunting; when offered riches in return, Arbogast refused, urging instead that land be given for building a cathedral in Strasbourg. He also sought solitude, keeping a small hermitage by the River Ill, returning often to prayer. Venerated as patron of Strasbourg, Saint Arbogast is celebrated on July 21.

Saint Victor of Marseilles was born in Egypt, and he later served as an officer in the Roman army at Marseille. In an age when Christians were pressured to honor the gods of Rome, Victor courageously confessed Christ and publicly denounced idolatry. For this witness he was arrested and brought before the prefects Asterius and Eutychius, then sent on to Emperor Maximian. Victor endured cruel torments—racked, beaten, dragged through the streets, and imprisoned—yet even in chains he became an instrument of grace. In prison he converted three fellow soldiers, Longinus, Alexander, and Felician; they were soon beheaded for their faith. When Victor refused to offer incense to Jupiter and even struck down the idol, the emperor ordered him crushed under a millstone. The stone broke, and Victor was finally beheaded around the year 290, sealing his testimony with blood. He is honored throughout the Catholic, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Orthodox Churches, and is patron of Davoli and Roccella Ionica. His feast day is July 21.