Saint Sebastian

“The devil strains every nerve to secure the souls which belong to Christ. We should not grudge our toil in wresting them from Satan and giving them back to God.”

Published on: January 21, 2022.

Saint Sebastian, an early martyr and saint, was born in 258AD. His birth and death are known, but there is a lack of certainty surrounding his years between the two events. However, the traditional belief about his life has led to him being heavily featured in art.

Religious scholars believe that Sebastian entered the Roman army to secretly assist martyrs. His refusal to sacrifice to the Roman gods led to his arrest, where he proceeded to convert fellow prisoners to Christianity before his death. He was tied to a tree, shot with multiple arrows, and left for dead. Saint Irene of Rome, the widow of St. Castulus, went to retrieve his body only to discover that he was still clinging to life. She rescued Sebastian and nursed him back to health.

Soon after his recovery, Sebastian denounced Emperor Diocletian for his cruelty to Christians and was beaten to death as a result. Sebastian’s remains were quietly taken by a pious lady to be buried in the catacombs at the cemetery of Callixtus in Rome on the Appian Way. It now bears his name; Basilica of Saint Sebastian.

The image of Saint Sebastian tied to a tree with multiple arrows protruding from his body is strongly represented in art for being an iconic image of Christian persecution. He is the patron saint of athletes and is strongly associated with protection from the plague. 

Saint Irene of Rome tends the arrow wounds of the early Christian martyr, Saint Sebastian.