Holy Martyrs Nazarius, Gervasius, and Protasius

Life

Nazarius was born in Rome to a Jewish father and a Christian mother. His mother Perpetua had been baptized by the Apostle Peter himself. Having accepted his mother's faith, Nazarius gave himself wholeheartedly to the fulfillment of all the precepts of the Church. Fearlessly preaching the Gospel, Nazarius came to Mediolanum (Milan). There he found Gervasius and Protasius in prison and served them with great love. When the local ruler learned of this, he ordered Nazarius to be beaten and expelled from the city. In a vision his mother appeared to him and told him that he should go to Gaul (France) and preach the Gospel there. This Nazarius did. After several years Nazarius again came to Mediolanum, now with the young man Celsus, his disciple, whom he had baptized in Gaul. There he found the brothers Gervasius and Protasius still in prison, into which the governor Anulinus soon cast him as well. And the martyrs of Christ rejoiced at their new meeting by God's Providence. Emperor Nero ordered that Nazarius be killed; and the governor brought out Nazarius and Celsus from prison and beheaded them. Soon after, Saints Gervasius and Protasius were also beheaded by a certain commander Astasius, who was passing through Mediolanum on his way to war against the Moravians. When the commander heard that these two brothers did not offer sacrifice to the idols, he feared that because of this he might lose the battle, and so he ordered that they be beheaded at once. Gervasius and Protasius were twins of blessed parents who were also disciples of the faith: Vitalis and Valeria. The relics of Saint Nazarius were transferred by Saint Ambrose from a garden outside the city to the Church of the Holy Apostles, and the relics of Saints Gervasius and Protasius were revealed to him in a wondrous vision.