Quirinus(Croatian:Kvirin) (died 309 AD) is venerated as an early bishop of Sescia, nowSisakin Croatia. He is mentioned byEusebius of Caesarea.
Quirinus of Sescia | |
|---|---|
 Statue inHalsteren,Netherlands | |
| Bishop and martyr | |
| Died | 309 AD Sabaria,Pannonia,Roman Empire |
| Venerated in | Roman Catholic Church |
| Canonized | Pre-Congregation |
| Majorshrine | BasilicaofSan Sebastiano fuori le mura,Rome, Italy |
| Feast | 4 June |
| Attributes | millstone hanging from his neck[1] |
| Patronage | Sisak |
APassio,considered unreliable,[2]states that Quirinus was killed during the persecutions ofDiocletianafter being arrested in 309. Quirinus had attempted to flee but was imprisoned. He managed to convert his jailer, named Marcellus, toChristianity.After three days, the governor ofPannonia Prima,Amantius, ordered him taken to Sabaria (present-daySzombathely,Hungary), where after attempting to make Quirinus abjure his faith, he had the bishop thrown into the local Gyöngyös River with amillstonearound his neck.[2]
A variant of the legend states that he wasalmostkilled during Diocletian's persecution of Christians: the authorities tied him to a millstone and threw him into a river, but he freed himself from the weight, escaped and continued to preach his faith.Saint Florian,another saint associated with Pannonia, was also said to have been executed by drowning with a stone tied around his neck. TheActsof the martyrdom of the saint were collected in (Thierry Ruinart,"Acta martyrum", Ratisbon, 522), and a hymn was written in his honour byPrudentius(loc. cit., 524).[3]
Veneration
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Local Christians of Savaria recovered his body and buried it near the gate known as the "Scarabateus" (likely atSopron).[2]
Upon the incursion of thebarbariansintoPannoniaat the end of the fourth century and at the beginning of the fifth, his relics were taken toRomeand deposited in amausoleumor vaulted chamber named Platonia, behind the apse of the Basilica ofSan Sebastiano fuori le muraon theAppian Way.[4]
[2]The "Platonia" was a construction at the rear of the basilica; it was long believed to have been the temporary tomb forPeterandPaul,but was a tomb for Quirinus.
His cult became popular, as attested by theItinerariesof the 7th century.[2]Some sources state that his relics were translated to various locations, includingCorreggio, Emilia-Romagna,Milan,Aquileia,and the Basilica ofSanta Maria in Trasteverein Rome.[2]His relics may have also been carried toTivoli.There is a cult of SaintQuirinus of Tivoli,who may or may not be the same saint.[5]The relics in Tivoli were reportedly moved toApennine Peninsuladuring the invasion of theHuns.[6]
Quirinus became considered one of the national protectors of theRepublic of San Marinoafter a dense fog attributed to him by the Sammarinese on his feast day of June 4, 1543, thwarted an attempted conquest of the country by Fabiano di Monte San Savino, nephew of the laterPope Julius III.[7]The FranciscanCapuchinChurch of San Quirino was subsequently built in the capital ofSan Marinoaround 1550.[8]
A church is dedicated to him atJesenovik,Croatia. His feast is observed on 4 June.
References
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This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain:Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Sts. Quirinus".Catholic Encyclopedia.New York: Robert Appleton Company.
- ^Stracke, Richard (2015-10-20)."Altar Frontal of the Madonna and Child with Saints".
- ^abcdefBorrelli, Antonio. "San Quirino di Siscia"santiebeati.it; accessed 8 December 2015.(in Italian)
- ^Kirsch, Johann Peter. "Sts. Quirinus." The Catholic EncyclopediaVol. 12. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1911. 23 November 2017
- ^Monks of Ramsgate. “Quirinus”.Book of Saints,1921. CatholicSaints.Info. 24 February 2017
- ^Borrelli, Antonio. "San Quirino di Tivoli",santiebeati.it; accessed 8 December 2015.(in Italian)
- ^Škiljan, Filip (2008).Kulturno – historijski spomenici Banije s pregledom povijesti Banije od prapovijesti do 1881[Cultural and historical monuments of Banija with an overview of history Banija from prehistory to 1881.] (in Serbian). Zagreb, Croatia:Serb National Council.ISBN978-953-7442-04-0.
- ^Nevio and Annio Maria MatteimiThe Republic of San Marino: Historical and Artistic Guide to the City and the Castles,2011, p. 20.
- ^Church of San Quirino.SanMarinoSite. Retrieved January 4, 2020.