St. Lawrence: Feast Day, Patronage & Prayers
Feast day: August 10 (Feast of St. Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr)
Patron of: Deacons, the poor, and cooks.
About St. Lawrence
St. Lawrence was one of the seven deacons of the Church of Rome under Pope St. Sixtus II, entrusted with the Church's goods and with care for the poor. In the summer of 258, during the persecution of the emperor Valerian, Sixtus and several deacons were seized and executed. Lawrence followed a few days later, on August 10.
Early Christian writers, including St. Ambrose, preserved the story that when the Roman prefect demanded the treasures of the Church, Lawrence asked for time, gathered the poor, the sick, and the widows whom the Church supported, and presented them, saying, "These are the treasures of the Church." Tradition holds that he was put to death on a gridiron over a fire and that he remained cheerful to the end, even joking with his executioners. Whatever the details, his death made a deep impression on Rome, and he became one of its most honored martyrs. The basilica of San Lorenzo stands over his tomb. His name is in the Roman Canon of the Mass. Lawrence teaches us that the poor are the Church's real wealth.
Prayers to St. Lawrence on Daily Catholic Prayers
Browse every saint in our Catalog of Saints A–Z.
Comments