The Dedication of the Basilica of Saint Mary Major

Saint Emygdius was born around 279 in Trier, then a pagan who came to know Jesus Christ and embraced the faith with courage. Journeying to Rome, he stayed on Tiber Island and, by God’s power, healed the paralyzed daughter of his host Gratianus, leading the whole household to baptism. He also restored sight to a blind man and drew many to Christ. When crowds mistook him for a son of Apollo and brought him to the temple of Asclepius, Emygdius openly confessed himself a Christian, destroyed the idols, and continued to proclaim the Gospel despite growing hostility. Ordained bishop by the Pope, he was sent to Ascoli Piceno. Along the way he converted many and, striking a cliff, caused water to spring forth. In Ascoli he refused to worship pagan gods and instead baptized Polisia, the governor’s daughter, and many others in the waters of the Tronto. During the persecution under Diocletian, Emygdius was beheaded around 309, sealing his witness with martyrdom. He is honored as patron of Ascoli Piceno and invoked especially for protection against earthquakes. His feast day is August 5.

Oswald was born around 604, likely in Bernicia in northern Britain, the son of King Æthelfrith and Acha of Deira. When his father fell in battle about 616, Oswald fled into exile among the Christian communities of Dál Riata, where he embraced the faith that would later shape his kingship. After Northumbria was shattered by war, Oswald returned and, before the Battle of Heavenfield near Hexham in 634, raised a wooden cross and prayed with his soldiers. Victorious over Cadwallon of Gwynedd, he reunited Bernicia and Deira and became the leading ruler in Britain for eight years. Oswald is venerated as a saint for his zeal to bring Christ to his people. He invited missionaries from Dál Riata, welcomed Saint Aidan, and gave him Lindisfarne as a base from which the Gospel spread throughout Northumbria. Oswald died fighting Penda of Mercia at Maserfield in 641 or 642, remembered as a courageous Christian king. He is honored as patron of Cartigliano, Cerro Veronese, the Kingdom of Northumbria, and Sauris. His feast day is August 5.

Saint Paris of Teano is traditionally said to have been born in Athens in Roman Greece, though history preserves with certainty only that he became a bishop in the Italian town of Teano. Ordained Bishop of Teano by Pope Sylvester I, Paris shepherded the faithful in a time when the Gospel was still taking root amid lingering pagan customs. Devout tradition remembers him as an apostolic figure for the region, preaching with courage and drawing many to Christ. Local legend tells that when he arrived, the people were caught up in rites honoring a serpent-like deity. Paris confronted this darkness with the power of God, reputedly taming or defeating a dragon that lived near the town and leading it to its end by the Savone River. In gratitude, the first cathedral, San Paride ad Fontem, rose near the spring where he preached, marking the place where faith overcame fear. Saint Paris died in Teano around 346, and his relics are honored there to this day. He is venerated as patron of Teano. His feast day is August 5.

Saint Virginia, honored on August 5, is remembered as a martyr who bore witness to Christ during the reign of Emperor Marcus Aurelius. Born in 101, she lived in an era when fidelity to the Gospel could demand the ultimate sacrifice, and her steadfastness has kept her name alive in the Church’s memory. Though many details of her life—her birthplace, family, and daily work—have not been preserved, her martyrdom speaks clearly: she chose faithfulness over fear, and love of God over the pressures of her time. Venerated especially as patron of Barbaiana, Saint Virginia remains a quiet yet powerful sign of courage, inviting the faithful to persevere with trust when trials come and to cling to Christ with an undivided heart.