St. Sebastian

Feast day: 20th January

Patronage: Soldiers, Archers

Saint Sebastian was an early Christian saint and martyr. He is venerated in the Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches.

The details of Saint Sebastian's martyrdom were first spoken of by 4th century bishop Ambrose of Milan (Saint Ambrose), in his sermon (number 22) on Psalm 118. St. Sebastian is a popular male saint, especially among soldiers and athletes who often wear his medal or relics as a pious sacramental. He was a man of Gallia Narbonensis who was taught in Milan and appointed as a captain of the Praetorian Guard under Diocletian and Maximian.

St. Sebastian was known for having encouraged in the faith two Christian prisoners due for martyrdom, Mark and Marcellian, who were bewailed and entreated by their family to forswear Christ and offer token sacrifice. His presence was said to have cured a woman of her muteness, and that the miracle instantly converted 78 people.

Diocletian, who was unaware that he was a Christian, reproached Sebastian for his supposed betrayal, and he commanded him to be led to a field and there to be bound to a stake to be shot at. Miraculously, the arrows did not kill him. The widow of Castulus, Irene of Rome, went to retrieve his body to bury it, and found he was still alive. She brought him back to her house and nursed him back to health. Sebastian then stood on a step and harangued Diocletian as he passed by; the emperor had him beaten to death and his body thrown into a privy. But in an apparition Sebastian told a Christian widow where they might find his body undefiled and bury it "at the catacombs by the apostles."

Because Sebastian had been thought to have been killed by the arrows, and yet was not, and then later was killed by the same emperor who had ordered him shot, he is sometimes known as the saint who was martyred twice.

The remains asserted to be those of Sebastian are currently housed in Rome in the Basilica Apostolorum, built by Pope Damasus I in 367 on the site of the provisional tomb of St. Peter and Saint Paul. 

Area: Gandhipuram

Kudumbasamelanam: 1st Sunday

Number of Family: 26

Animators

Sr. Rita

Sr. Elizabeth

Executive Members

Mr. C F Paulson

Convenor

Mrs. Lincy Prakash

Joint Convenor

Mr. C J Thankachan

Secretary

Mrs. Seena Vinod

Joint Secretary

Mr. John Reji

Treasurer

Mr. John Reji

Treasurer

Mr. John Reji

Treasurer

Unit Prathinithikal

Mr. K D Augustine

Mr. Lincy Prakash

Mrs. Jose A C