*** Welcome to piglix ***

Saint Expeditus

St. Expeditus
The statue of St. Expeditus.jpg
Saint Expeditus with his typical iconographical attributes
Martyr
Born unknown
unknown
Died 303
Melitene, Turkey
Venerated in Roman Catholic Church
Feast 19 April
Attributes Depicted as a Roman soldier, holding a palm leaf in his left hand, and raising a cross with the word hodie (today) on it in his right hand. His left foot is stepping on a crow, which is speaking the word "cras" (tomorrow).
Patronage emergencies; solutions; against procrastination; merchants; navigators,

Expeditus is said to have been a Roman centurion in Armenia who was martyred around April 303 in what is now Turkey, for converting to Christianity. Considered the patron saint of speedy cases, he is commemorated by the Roman Catholic Church on 19 April.

Expeditus was probably born in Armenia. He was a Christian martyr, but not much else is known about him. Information concerning Saint Expeditus is found in the Hieronymian Martyrology.

According to Delehaye, the word "Expeditus" is a misreading of "Elpidius". The name "Expeditus" has provoked puns, so he has become the saint of rapidity. At first, he was invoked for urgent causes; he has since become the patron of dealers, sailors, students, and examinees; he is also implored for success in lawsuits.

Given that "Expeditus" is Latin for a soldier without marching pack, i.e. a soldier with light equipment, this saint may be an anonymous individual known by his profession. His cult was already developed in Turin, Italy, in the Middle Ages. At the beginning of the twentieth century, certain bishops tried but failed to abolish the cult of Saint Expeditus.

According to tradition, Saint Expeditus was a Roman centurion in Armenia who became a Christian and was beheaded during the Diocletian Persecution in 303 A.D. The day he decided to become a Christian, the Devil took the form of a crow (a snake in some versions of the legend) and told him to defer his conversion until the next day. Expeditus stamped on the bird and killed it, declaring, "I'll be a Christian today!"

Expeditus was included in martyrologies in Italy before 1781. There was a tradition that Saint Expeditus could be called upon to help settle overly long legal cases. His acta have not been reviewed by the Roman Catholic Church, and his feast of April 19 is not widely celebrated. Saint Expedite is venerated in Europe and strongly in Latin America. Brazil has ceremonies in São Paulo and crowds attending ceremonies to mark his April 19 feast day can reach in the hundreds of thousands.


...
Wikipedia

...