A timely article. Yesterday, our pastor placed a small, antique reliquary, containing relics of 9 saints, on the altar. It was found in the parish garage, buried behind a stack of books on a shelf. After liturgy, two of us examined the reliquary to learn the name of these saints. The print was extremely small but with a high powered light and lots of squinting, we were able to discern that all were martyr saints. It is the Church’s custom to label relics with Latin names. I have been researching these and run into some name issues, even with the use of a Latin translation tool. Perhaps some of you can provide some additional insight or advice.
Names: Aurelii, Benigai, Octavi, Ireneti, Liberati, Innocenti, Theodori, Vincenti, Berenici.
St. Aurelius
Feastday: July 20
429
Bishop and companion of St. Augustine of Hippo. Aurelius was a deacon at Carthage and became the bishop of that see in 392. He was a vigorous foe of the heresies of the time, His complaints about the loyalties of the local clergy prompted St. Augustine to write On the Work of Monks .
St. Octavian
Feastday: March 22
484
Martyr of the Vandals. He was an archdeacon in the Church in Carthage who was executed, along with supposedly thousands of other Christians, by the Arian Vandals at the command of King Hunneric.
St. Theodore and 40 others (?) martyrs beheaded at Carthage (249, 251 A.D.). April 10.
St. Liberatus
Feastday: August 17
483
Martyr with Boniface, Maximus, Rogatus, Rusticus, Septimus, and Servus. Liberatus was abbot of an African monastery near Capsa, Byzeceke. He and the others were martyred by the Arian ruler of the Vandals, Hunneric, in Carthage. Maximus was a young child.
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St. Liberatus and Family
In 484 the king of the Vandal tribe, Huneric, an adherent of the Arian heresy that denied the divinity of Christ, issued an edict against the Catholic Church in North Africa. In this persecution, the Catholic doctor Liberatus, his wife, and their two young sons were apprehended. King Huneric ordered the parents to be separated from their children and to be exiled. Grieving this separation, Liberatus wept, but his wife urged him to take courage. The husband and wife were placed in separate prison cells, unable to see each other. Liberatus’ wife was subsequently told the falsehood that Liberatus had apostatized. When afterward she was led to her trial and saw her husband standing near the spectators, she angrily grabbed him and rebuked him for denying his faith. But her husband quickly told her the truth of the matter: “In the name of Christ, I remain a Catholic.” Both Liberatus and his wife were executed. Their sons were put to death by drowning, as was another seven-year-old Catholic boy, who cried out, “I am a Christian,” as he was dragged away from his distraught mother.
St. Vicentius
Vincentiuswith Saturninus, and four children, the lectors Saturninus (another) and Felix, and the nun, Maria, and the toddler, Hilarion; Senator Dativus; Thelica, Emeritus, Felix, Ampellius, Rogatianus, Victoria, 37 other Christians ( Felix, Quintus, Maximianus, Rogatianus, Rogatus, Januarius, Cassianus, Victorianus, Caecilianus, Restituta, Prima, Rogatianus, Eva, Givalius, Rogatus, Pimponia, Secunda, Januaria, Saturnina, Martinus, Datus, Felix, Margarita, Major, Honorata, Regiola, Victorinus, Pelusius, Faustus, Datianus, Matrona, Caecilia, Heredina, Secunda, Matrona(another), Januaria, of Abitine, in Northwestern Africa.
Arrested, having prayed the Divine Mysteries in the Emeritus’ house, we proclaimed the faith. I, Saturninus, was clubbed and died in jail. 12 Feb. 304 A.D. 11 Feb. Roman, 20 Feb in Algiers.
St. Innocentius ?
martyr. theban Legionnaire.
Ancient African (Catholic) Church’s thousands of early *Black Saints.* From all Mystical Body of Christ’s branches--Latin, Coptic, & Orthodox Sts. Amoun, Augustine to Zeno.
St. Benigai (Latin for St. Generosa?)
Seperatus, Narzalea, Cittinus, Veturius, Acllinus, Laetantius, Januaria, Vestina, Donata, and Secunda. We are the Scillitan Martyrs, caught at Africa Proconsularis, Carthage, two trials, authorities ordered us beheaded 17 July 180 A.D. under Vigellius, first persecutor of Christians in Northwestern Africa. 17 July.
St. Berenici - ?? The only information I could find was this.
At the Sea of Galilee there is excavation and restoration of a church above Tiberias called Berenici, where coins have been found bearing the inscription "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews”.
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Saint Veronica or Berenice, according to the "Acta Sanctorum" published by the Bollandists (under February 4),[2] was a pious woman of Jerusalem who, moved with pity as Jesus carried his cross to Golgotha, gave him her veil that he might wipe his forehead. Jesus accepted the offering and after using it handed it back to her, the image of his face miraculously impressed upon it.[3][4][5] The name "Veronica" itself is a Latinisation of Berenice, a Macedonian name, meaning "bearer of victory" (corresponding to Greek: phere-nikē).
I’ve never been comfortable with relics...I always saw them as superstitious nonsense.