Vincent of Saragossa

Saint Vincent of Saragossa was born in Huesca, near Saragossa in Spain, in the later third century. Educated in Saragossa, he was ordained a deacon by Bishop Valerius, whose speech impediment led Vincent to serve as his trusted spokesman and preacher throughout the diocese. When Emperor Diocletian’s persecution reached Spain, Vincent and Valerius were arrested and brought before the governor Dacian in Valencia. Offered freedom if he would surrender the Scriptures to be burned, Vincent refused with serene courage, professing that neither threats nor promises could turn him from Christ. For this witness he endured brutal tortures and imprisonment, yet his peace astonished even his jailer, who repented and was converted. After Vincent died around 304, his body was cast into the sea, recovered by Christians, and soon venerated widely, especially in Valencia and beyond. He is honored as a protomartyr of Spain and invoked by many, including sailors and those who work with wine and vinegar. His feast day is November 11.