Severus of Ravenna

Saint

Severus of Ravenna

St. Severus of Ravenna - mosaic in Sant'Apollinare in Classe

Bishop of Ravenna
Born| Ravenna, Roman Empire
Died| circa 348
Venerated in| Catholic Church
Orthodox Church
Canonized| Pre-Congregation
Major shrine| Pavio/Pavia (original)
Erfurt, Germany
Feast| 1 February
Attributes| Loom, weaver's tools, dove
Patronage| Hatters, wool weavers,[1] spinners, policemen, cloth, stocking, and glove makers.

Saint Severus of Ravenna was a 4th-century Bishop of Ravenna who attended the Council of Sardica in 343. He was ordained as a bishop due to his personal virtue and because of "the sign of a dove". He is commemorated on February 1.

## Life

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According to legend, Severus, a wool weaver, went with his wife, Vincentia, to observe the election of a successor to Bishop Agapitus for Ravenna. When he arrived at the church a white dove landed three times on his shoulders, so the people took this as a sign and elected him.[2] When he became bishop, his wife and daughter, Innocentia, took the veil.

He attended the Council of Sardica in 343.[2]

He was buried in Classe near Ravenna.[2]

## Veneration

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Sarcophagus of St. Severus, St Severus' Church, Erfurt

He was purported to be an example of not only a married priest, but a married archbishop.[3]

Andreas Agnellus, in his Liber Pontificalis Ecclesiae Ravennatis, mentions the founding of a church dedicated to Severus at Classe and the later translation of his relics from a nearby monasterium dedicated to Rophilius, which appears to have taken place around the year 500.[4]

On the feast of Pentecost 582, Archbishop John II "Romanus" consecrated the Basilica of San Severo in Ravenna-Classe at his burial place and in his honor; it was destroyed in 1820 (and excavated from 1964 to 1967).

A Gallic priest named Felix stole Severus's bones together with those of his wife Vincentia and daughter Innocentia and brought them to Pavia.[1] In 836 Bishop Otgar of Mainz acquired the relics and transferred them to first to Mainz, Germany, and eventually to a predecessor building of St Severus' Church, Erfurt, where they were buried and still lie today.[5][6] Severus is depicted in Justinian's mosaics in Saint Apollinaire in Classis, and his name is recorded in early martyrologies.[3]

There is a Saint Severus Parish Church in Boppard, Germany.

A different St. Severus was martyred in Ravenna during the reign of Maximian, and some early records confused him with the bishop.

## References

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1. ^ a b "Severus von Ravenna", Die Mainzer Heiligen
2. ^ a b c "Severus von Ravenna". Ökumenisches Heiligenlexikon (in German). Retrieved 29 May 2022.
3. ^ a b Berman, Constance H. (2005). Medieval religion new approaches. Routledge. p. 127\. OCLC 1267427298.
4. ^ Trzeciak, Frances. Cult of Saints, E05789, University of Oxford
5. ^ Oppermann, Johann M., Der heilige Severus von Ravenna, Patron der Stiftskirche zu Erfurt: sein Leben, die Geschichte seiner Reliquien, sowie seine Verehrung in Lied und Gebet, Schöningh, 1878
6. ^ "Saint Severus of Ravenna". CatholicSaints.Info. 31 January 2010.

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF
* 2
* 3

National|

* Germany

Artists|

* ULAN

People|

* Deutsche Biographie
* 2
* DDB

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