Saint Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr

Saint Lawrence of Rome was born on 31 December 225, likely in Huesca in Hispania (present-day Spain). As a young man he met the future Pope Sixtus II in Zaragoza and traveled with him to Rome. When Sixtus became pope in 257, he ordained Lawrence a deacon and soon made him archdeacon, entrusting him with the Church’s goods and the care of the poor. In 258, during Emperor Valerian’s persecution, Sixtus was seized and executed. Soon after, the prefect of Rome demanded that Lawrence surrender the Church’s treasures. Lawrence asked for three days, then distributed the Church’s resources to the needy. When he returned, he presented the poor—crippled, blind, and suffering—and declared them to be the true riches of the Church, a courageous witness to the Gospel’s love. For this bold faith he was imprisoned, is said to have baptized fellow prisoners, and was martyred in Rome on 10 August 258. He is honored as a steadfast deacon and martyr, and is patron of many towns, including Abades and Abano Terme. His feast day is August 10.