Cassian of Imola

Saint Cassian of Imola lived in the fourth century, and while the details of his early life are largely unknown, tradition remembers him as a humble schoolmaster in Imola, Italy. In a time when Christians were pressured to offer sacrifice to the Roman gods, Cassian refused to betray his faith. Under the rule associated with Julian the Apostate, he was condemned to a cruel and deeply personal martyrdom: he was handed over to his own students. Bound to a stake, he endured their vengeance as they stabbed him repeatedly with the sharp iron styli used for writing on wax tablets. In this suffering, Cassian bore witness to Christ with steadfast patience, forgiving those who wounded him and remaining faithful unto death. After his martyrdom, the Christians of Imola reverently buried him, and his relics were long honored there. He is venerated as patron of Imola and of several towns, and is also invoked by parish clerks. His feast day is August 13.