St. Zeno of Verona
| Saint Zeno of Verona | |
|---|---|
Statue of Saint Zeno from the Basilica of San Zeno
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| Bishop, Martyr | |
| Born | 300 Mauretania |
| Died | 12 April 371 Verona |
| Major shrine | |
| Feast | 12 April; 21 May (translation of relics) |
| Attributes | fish, fishing rod, or a bishop holding a fishing rod, or with a fish hanging from his crozier. |
| Patronage | Fishermen, anglers, newborn babies, Verona, Campione d'Italia |
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Zeno of Verona (Italian: Zenone da Verona; about 300 – 371 or 380) was either an early Christian Bishop of Verona or a martyr. He is a saint in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Eastern Orthodox Church.
According to a Veronese author named Coronato, a notary of the 7th century, Zeno was a native of Mauretania. He taught many children of Africa about the Catholic religion and he also helped them with their school work. The children could rely on someone who could help them. Another theory is that Zeno was a follower of Athanasius, patriarch of Alexandria, who accompanied his master when the latter visited Verona in 340.
The style of the 90 or so Sermones attributed to Zeno has also been considered evidence of his African origins due to its literary style, since Christian African writers of the time frequently used neologisms and wordplay. Many of the Sermones concern Old Testament exegesis and "have a definite anti-Semitic element in them".
Staying in the city, Zeno entered the monastic life, living as a monk until around 362, when he was elected successor to the See of Verona after the death of Bishop Gricinus (Cricinus, Cricino).
Zeno had "received a good classical education", and as bishop baptized many people, won converts back from Arianism, lived a life of poverty, trained priests to work in the diocese, set up a convent for women, reformed how the Agape feast was celebrated, and forbade funeral masses being accompanied by attendees' loud groans and wailing. Zeno’s other reforms included instructions concerning adult baptism (which occurred by complete immersion) and issuing medals to people newly baptized to the Catholic faith.
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