Saint Vicinius or Saint Vicinius of Sarsina (; died 330) was the first bishop of Sarsina and is venerated as a

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

saint.

Hagiography

Vicinius's life is based on notes in an anonymous manuscript

lectionary A lectionary () is a book or listing that contains a collection of scripture readings appointed for Christianity, Christian or Judaism, Jewish worship on a given day or occasion. There are sub-types such as a "gospel lectionary" or evangeliary, ...

of the 12th century. Vicinius, traditionally the first bishop of Sarsina, is supposed to have been a native of

Liguria Liguria (; ; , ) is a Regions of Italy, region of north-western Italy; its Capital city, capital is Genoa. Its territory is crossed by the Alps and the Apennine Mountains, Apennines Mountain chain, mountain range and is roughly coextensive with ...

. Shortly before the great persecutions of

Diocletian Diocletian ( ; ; ; 242/245 – 311/312), nicknamed Jovius, was Roman emperor from 284 until his abdication in 305. He was born Diocles to a family of low status in the Roman province of Dalmatia (Roman province), Dalmatia. As with other Illyri ...

and

Maximinus II Galerius Valerius Maximinus, born as Daza (; 20 November 270 – July 313), was Roman emperor from 310 to 313. He became embroiled in the civil wars of the Tetrarchy between rival claimants for control of the empire, in which he was defeated ...

, he withdrew as a hermit to a mountain about six kilometres from

Sarsina Sarsina () is an Italian town situated in the province of Forlì-Cesena, Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy. Its territory is included in the Tuscan-Romagnolo Apennines. History Ancient Sarsina or Sassina was a town of the Umbri. In 266 BC Roman ' ...

which is now named after him (Monte San Vicinio, in the present commune of

Mercato Saraceno Mercato Saraceno () is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Forlì-Cesena in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about southeast of Bologna and about southeast of Forlì. Mercato Saraceno borders the following municipalities: B ...

). Here he followed a life of prayer and penitence. While the priests and people of Sarsina were assembled to choose a bishop, a divine sign appeared over the mountain top. In this way, the solitary Vicinius was appointed bishop, from the beginning of the fourth century (about 303) to his death in 330. Even after his election, Vicinius periodically withdrew to the mountains in solitary retreat.

The Collar of Saint Vicinius

During his life, he had a reputation as a miracle-worker, with a particular ability to expel demons and to heal the faithful of physical and mental illness by means of an iron chain or collar weighted with a stone which he wore round his neck as a penance, in the form of two arms joined by a double clasp and terminating in two interlocking rings. According to a scientific study carried out by the

University of Bologna The University of Bologna (, abbreviated Unibo) is a Public university, public research university in Bologna, Italy. Teaching began around 1088, with the university becoming organised as guilds of students () by the late 12th century. It is the ...

, the collar, of uncertain origin, is either contemporary with or slightly earlier than the life of the saint. Today the collar is used for blessings. It is said to be the hand of the saint who by his powerful intercession with God gives grace to all those who make pilgrimage to his altar.San Vicinio
Collare di San Vicinio
/ref> The exorcisms are carried out inside the basilica of San Vicinio (the former Sarsina Cathedral) by priests specially authorised by the bishop

Cult

Sarsina Cathedral Sarsina Cathedral () is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Sarsina, a municipality in the province of Forlì-Cesena, region of Emilia-Romagna, Italy, dedicated to the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary. Formerly the seat of the Bishops of Sarsina, since ...

is the Chapel of Saint Vicinius. Here are kept the saint's

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 ...

and the miraculous collar, the reputation of which still brings pilgrims seeking the saint's aid in healing illness and possession. The feast of Saint Vicinius is celebrated on 28 August.

Notes

Sources

* ''Vita s. Vicinii episcopi Sassinatis'', (''Lectionarium'', Biblioteca Gambalunga di Rimini, ms. 4.A.1.1.) * ''La prima vita di san Vicinio vescovo di Sarsina'', introduzione e testo a cura di G. Lucchesi; traduzione di A. Zini e W. Ferretti, Faenza 1973 * ''Vita di Vicinio'', a cura di Marino Mengozzi, (Vite dei santi dell'Emilia Romagna; 2), Cesena 2003,

External links