Edistus

Saint Edistus, also remembered as Aristus or Orestes, is honored as a martyr of the early Church, though the details of his birth are not known. Ancient tradition places his witness near Rome on the Via Laurentina, during the persecution under Emperor Nero. According to his legend, Edistus was a soldier who had been baptized by Saint Peter, and he gathered with fellow believers for the Holy Mass celebrated by the priest Priscus. With him were Thermantia, Christina, and his servant Victoria. Discovered by the authorities, Edistus and his companions endured a cruel death for Christ, steadfast in faith even as the world demanded their silence. Devotion to Edistus took root around his burial place along the Via Ardeatina, where a church rose in his honor and his relics were long venerated, especially near San Paolo fuori le Mura. He is especially cherished as the patron of Sant’Oreste, a town near Monte Soratte that bears his name. Saint Edistus is celebrated on October 12.