:''Calepodius was the name of a 4th-century
bishop of Naples
The Archdiocese of Naples () is a Latin Catholic archdiocese in southern Italy, the see being in Naples. A Christian community was founded there in the 1st century AD and the diocese of Naples was raised to the level of an Archdiocese in the 10 ...
.''
Saint Calepodius (; died 232 AD) was a priest who was killed during the persecutions of
Christians
A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the world. The words '' Christ'' and ''C ...
by the Roman Emperor
Alexander Severus
Marcus Aurelius Severus Alexander (1 October 208 – March 235), also known as Alexander Severus, was Roman emperor from 222 until 235. He was the last emperor from the Severan dynasty. Alexander took power in 222, when he succeeded his slain co ...
. One of the
catacombs of Rome
The Catacombs of Rome () are ancient catacombs, underground burial places in and around Rome, of which there are at least forty, some rediscovered since 1578, others even as late as the 1950s.
There are more than fifty catacombs in the underg ...
, the
cemetery of Calepodius
The Catacomb of Calepodius (also called the Cemetery of Calepodius) is one of the Catacombs of Rome, notable for containing the tombs of Pope Callixtus I (ironically, the creator of the Catacomb of Callixtus, which once contained the tombs of a do ...
on the
Aurelian Way, was named after him.
His
Hagiography
A hagiography (; ) is a biography of a saint or an ecclesiastical leader, as well as, by extension, an adulatory and idealized biography of a preacher, priest, founder, saint, monk, nun or icon in any of the world's religions. Early Christian ...
recalls that he was tortured and then thrown into the
Tiber river
The Tiber ( ; ; ) is the List of rivers of Italy, third-longest river in Italy and the longest in Central Italy, rising in the Apennine Mountains in Emilia-Romagna and flowing through Tuscany, Umbria, and Lazio, where it is joined by the R ...
with a
mill stone tied round his neck.
Veneration
His
relics
In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains or personal effects of a saint or other person preserved for the purpose of veneration as a tangible memorial. Reli ...
, along with those of
Saint Callistus and
Saint Cornelius, were
translated in the 10th century to the Church of
Santa Maria in Trastevere
The Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere () or Our Lady in Trastevere is a titulus (Roman Catholic), titular minor basilica in the Trastevere district of Rome, and one of the oldest churches of Rome. The basic floor plan and wall structure of the ...
(St. Mary beyond the Tiber) and deposited under the high altar. Some relics of the three saints were translated to
Fulda
Fulda () (historically in English called Fuld) is a city in Hesse, Germany; it is located on the river Fulda and is the administrative seat of the Fulda district (''Kreis''). In 1990, the city hosted the 30th Hessentag state festival.
Histor ...
and
Cysoing, and some of Callistus’ relics were also translated to
Notre-Dame de Reims. However, some of Callistus’ relics are still kept with those of Calepodius in Santa Maria in Trastevere.
St. Callistus
/ref>
Saint Callistus is venerated on May 10 with saints Palmatius, Simplicius, Felix, Blanda, and companions. St. Palmatius was of consular rank, and he died with his wife, children, and household. St. Simplicius was a senator who suffered death with sixty-five members of his family and household. Sts. Felix and Blanda were husband and wife.
Notes
External links
San Calepodio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Calepodius
232 deaths
Burials at Santa Maria in Trastevere
3rd-century Christian martyrs
Year of birth unknown