Saint Sebastian

Saint Sebastian was born in the city of Narbonne, in Gaul, in the 3rd Century.

Saint Sebastian was a young man by the time he was religious. He was a son of a wealthy Roman family and was educated in Milan.

Throughout earlier in life, he was soon trasfered as an officer in the Imperial Roman army and captian of the guard.

He was one of the favourites to Diocletian, who was the Emperorer of Rome since 284 AD to 305 AD but died in 312 AD.

During Diocletian reign of power as emporer, he hated Christians and persecuted them. But Sebastian had always treated the Christians kindly, bringing them food and supplies to live throughout the prisons.

It was rumoured that he healed the wife of a brother soldier by making the sign of the cross over her head.

And, since the Christiananity rose over Sebastian, he started to convert soldiers and once converted a governer.

As soon rumours spreaded, Sebastian was charged as a christian.

Diocletian didn’t know that Sebastian was a christian. So Diocletian sentenced Sebastian to be shots by arrows because of his christiananity. So he was tied to a tree, half naked and was shot by the Mauretanian archers. He was left there to die. But a miracle had persued and he survived. Once he was recovered, he returned to preach to Diocletian. But sadly, the emporer had beaten him to death. And was thrown in the sewers.

He died at Rome, in January 20th, 287 AD.

Saint Sebastian is now the patron saint of the city of Palma de Mallorca, which is in Spain, where on January 20th, the streets are filled with ceremonies and festivals.

Saint Sebastian is also the Patron Saint of soldiers generally, of infantrymen, archers and municipal police officers.

During the 14th Century, the mysterious plague, known as the black death, spreaded through Europe and killed thosands of people. The army thought that the Black Plague was created by the poor people and so they started to shoot them with arrows, trying to slow down the plague.

Desperate for finding a saint, they remebered Saint Sebastian and the intercession of this saint associated with arrows. Now, he was prayed by all throughout the ages of the plague.

After Saint Sebastian’s Desperation of his life and the plague, he represents arrows; a crown and the naked youth tied to a tree and shot with arrows.