Jermaine of Capua

Saint Jermaine (Germanus) of Capua was born in Capua, likely in the 470s. Though little is known with certainty about his early years, tradition remembers him as a man drawn to ascetic life, renouncing worldly inheritance to seek God more wholly. Chosen as bishop of Capua around 519, he at first resisted the honor, accepting only out of obedience to the Church. In a time of deep division between East and West, Bishop Jermaine became a principal envoy of Pope Hormisdas to Constantinople. Leading the papal legation to Emperor Justin I, he helped secure acceptance of the pope’s terms and brought the Acacian schism to an end, strengthening communion in the Church. He was also credited with wise handling of controversies troubling the faithful and with enriching Capua’s worship through treasured relics. Saint Gregory the Great recounts that Saint Benedict saw Jermaine’s soul taken to heaven like a ball of fire, a sign of his holiness. He is venerated especially in southern Italy and is patron of San Germano dei Berici. His feast day is October 30.