Genesius of Arles
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| Saint Genesius of Arles | |
|---|---|
| Born | unknown, Arles |
| Died | 303 or 308 |
| Venerated in | Roman Catholic Church |
| Major shrine | Arles |
| Feast | August 25 |
| Patronage | notaries |
 Saints Portal |
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Saint Genesius of Arles was a notary martyred under Maximianus in 303 or 308. His Feast day is celebrated on August 25. He is honoured as the patron saint of notaries, and invoked against chilblains and scurf. He is also the patron of secretaries. He should not be confused with Genesius of Rome, who is the patron saint of actors, comedians, and entertainers.
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[edit] Acts
The Acts (Acta Santorum, Aug., V, 123, and Thierry Ruinart, 559), attributed to St. Paulinus of Nola, state: "Genesius, native of Arles, at first a soldier became known for his proficiency in writing, and was made secretary to the magistrate of Arles. While performing the duties of his office the decree of persecution against the Christians was read in his presence. Outraged in his ideas of justice, the young catechumen cast his tablets at the feet of the magistrate and fled. He was captured and executed, and thus received baptism in his own blood."
His veneration must be very old, as his name is found in the Martyrologium Hieronymianum. A church and altar dedicated to him at Arles were known in the fourth century.
[edit] Alternative Interpretation: Rome, Arles or Both?
Although some say that Genesius of Arles and Genesius of Rome are not to be confused, in fact it seems that the cult properly should not differentiate between the two.[1]
Genesius (Gennys) died as a martyr in ca. 303 AD. He is mentioned in several sources as having been martyred under the persecutions of Maximian and Diocletian. Genesius was a legal clerk, and on one occasion was so upset by the edict of persecution that he heard that he left his position. He went in search of baptism, but was not trusted by the bishop he found, who instead advised him that marytrdom was at least as good in the eyes of God. Genesius was eventually beheaded.
The cult of Genesius spread quickly out of Arles and into other parts of the empire, including Rome, where a titular church was built. It was then assumed that he was a Roman martyr: hence 'Genesius of Rome'. Later on, even more confusion helped to create an entirely fictional legend, in which he was a comedian who had converted to Christianity half-way through performing an anti-Christian satire, and was then beheaded. This latter story began in the 6th century at the latest.
The Feast Day of Genesius is the 25th of August; the dedication of his basilica at Arles on the 16th of December.
[edit] Notes
- ^ David Hugh Farmer, Oxford Dictionary of Saints. Fourth Edition. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1997), 200.
[edit] Sources
- This article incorporates text from the public-domain Catholic Encyclopedia of 1913.
