Bassianus of Lodi (, ; c. 320 – 413) was an Italian saint, the

patron saint A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, Eastern Orthodoxy or Oriental Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, fa ...

of Lodi and

Pizzighettone Pizzighettone ( Pizzighettonese: ) is a ''comune'' of the Province of Cremona in the Italian region Lombardy. The main population centre is located on the river Adda and is divided into two parts: Pizzighettone on the east bank and Gera on the we ...

in Italy.

Biography

Born in

Syracuse, Sicily Syracuse ( ; ; ) is a historic city on the Italian island of Sicily, the capital of the Italian province of Syracuse. The city is notable for its rich Greek and Roman history, culture, amphitheatres, architecture, and as the birthplace ...

, to Sergius,

prefect Prefect (from the Latin ''praefectus'', substantive adjectival form of ''praeficere'': "put in front", meaning in charge) is a magisterial title of varying definition, but essentially refers to the leader of an administrative area. A prefect' ...

of the city, Bassianus was sent to

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

in order to complete his studies. There, he was converted to

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...

by a priest named Giordano much against his parents' will.Van den Akker sj, A., "Bassianus van Lodi", Heiligen
/ref> Bassianus's father, who wanted his son to

apostatize Apostasy (; ) is the formal disaffiliation from, abandonment of, or renunciation of a religion by a person. It can also be defined within the broader context of embracing an opinion that is contrary to one's previous religious beliefs. One who ...

, asked him to return to Syracuse. Bassianus refused and fled to a relative, Urso,

Bishop of Ravenna This page is a list of Catholic bishops and archbishops of Ravenna and, from 1947 of the Archdiocese of Ravenna and Cervia, which in 1985 became styled the Archdiocese of Ravenna-Cervia.Sant'Apollinare in Classe The Basilica of Sant'Apollinare in Classe ("Saint Apollinaris in Classe") is a church in Classe, Ravenna, Italy, consecrated on 9 May 549 by the Maximianus of Ravenna, bishop Maximian and dedicated to Apollinaris of Ravenna, Saint Apollinaris ...

. When the bishop of Lodi died around 373, Bassianus was asked to succeed him. He was consecrated bishop by

Ambrose of Milan Ambrose of Milan (; 4 April 397), venerated as Saint Ambrose, was a theologian and statesman who served as Bishop of Milan from 374 to 397. He expressed himself prominently as a public figure, fiercely promoting Roman Christianity against Ari ...

and Urso of Ravenna. Bassianus built a church dedicated to the

Apostles An apostle (), in its literal sense, is an emissary. The word is derived from Ancient Greek ἀπόστολος (''apóstolos''), literally "one who is sent off", itself derived from the verb ἀποστέλλειν (''apostéllein''), "to se ...

, consecrating it in 381 in the presence of Ambrose and Saint Felix of Como. He participated in the Council of Aquileia in 381Paulinus of Milan. ''Life of Saint Ambrose'', (Mary Simplicia Kaniecka, trans.), Arx Publishing, LLC, 2020, p. 54, n.5
/ref> and may perhaps have participated in the

Council of Milan The Synod of Milan or Council of Milan may refer to any of several synods which occurred in late Roman Mediolanum or medieval Milan in northern Italy's Po valley: Synod of 345 In 353 or 354, Pope Liberius wrote thus: ''"Eight years ago the Eusebi ...

(390), in which

Jovinian Jovinian (; died c. 405) was an opponent of Christian asceticism in the 4th century and was condemned as a heretic at synods convened in Rome under Pope Siricius and in Milan by Ambrose in 393 because of his views. Our information about him is d ...

was condemned. Bassianus's signature is found together with Ambrose's in a letter sent to

Pope Siricius Pope Siricius ( – 26 November 399) was the bishop of Rome from December 384 to his death on 26 November 399. In response to inquiries from Bishop Himerius of Tarragona, Siricius issued the ''Directa'' decretal, containing decrees of baptism, ...

. In 397, Bassianus was present at the death of his friend Ambrose. Bassianus died around 413. He was known as a caring shepherd and was believed to have the gift of healing the sick.

Veneration

In 1158, when

Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...

ese forces destroyed Lodi, 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 ...

were taken to Milan. They were returned in 1163, when Lodi was rebuilt by

Frederick Barbarossa Frederick Barbarossa (December 1122 – 10 June 1190), also known as Frederick I (; ), was the Holy Roman Emperor from 1155 until his death in 1190. He was elected King of Germany in Frankfurt on 4 March 1152 and crowned in Aachen on 9 March 115 ...

, and enshrined in the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Lodi.Cambielii, P., "Lodi Celebrates St. Bassianus", ''Dooid Magazine'', January 2019
/ref> Bassianus is the patron saint of Lodi and is invoked against leprosy.
/ref> His feast day is

January 19 Events Pre-1600 * 379 – Emperor Gratian elevates Flavius Theodosius at Sirmium to '' Augustus'', and gives him authority over all the eastern provinces of the Roman Empire. * 649 – Conquest of Kucha: The forces of Kucha surren ...

, the occasion of the St. Bassianus’ Fair in Lodi.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bassianus 320 births 409 deaths People from Syracuse, Sicily 5th-century Christian saints Bishops of Lodi 4th-century Italian bishops