Marinus

Saint Marinus was born on the Adriatic island of Arba, today Rab in Croatia, and worked as a stonemason. In the days of the Diocletianic persecution, he left his homeland and crossed the sea, seeking safety for his Christian faith. Tradition places him in Rimini, where he is said to have strengthened suffering believers—some reduced to hard labor for refusing to sacrifice to the pagan gods. Ordained a deacon by Gaudentius of Rimini, Marinus longed for a life more hidden with God. After a troubling accusation from a disturbed woman, he withdrew to the solitude of Monte Titano, where he built a small chapel and gathered a community of prayer that grew into a monastery. His quiet holiness drew disciples, and the mountain itself was eventually given to him. From this humble beginning arose the community that would become the Republic of San Marino, which venerates him as its founder and patron, along with the island of Rab. His feast day is celebrated on September 3.