St. Apollinaris, Bishop and Martyr

Very little is known with certainty about the life of St. Apollinaris, the first Bishop of Ravenna. St. Peter Chrysologus (see July 30), who was Bishop of Ravenna from 431 to 450, once preached a sermon (No. 128) about his predecessor. From this sermon, we learn that Apollinaris was the first bishop of that see, that he had labored there for many years, and on different occasions had suffered much and had often shed his blood, and though his was not a violent death, nevertheless, he should be considered a martyr. There is also the witness of St. Severus, who, as bishop of Ravenna, attended the Council of Sardica (342–43), and at which he mentioned that the first bishop of his see flourished around the middle of the second century.

When historical details are lacking, legend easily fills them in. In the seventh century, there appeared a Passion of St. Apollinaris, and according to this historically unreliable document, we are told that Apollinaris came from Antioch (today’s Antakya, Turkey), and arrived in Rome with St. Peter (see June 29), who then sent him to evangelize Ravenna. Because of his success in making converts, Apollinaris twice suffered mistreatment at the hands of nonbelievers and was forced to leave the city. He traveled to Corinth, Greece, and then preached in Thrace (part of today’s Balkan Peninsula). He once again suffered violence and was forced to leave. He returned to Ravenna at the time when Vespasian’s (emperor 69–79) persecution against the Christians was in effect. Apollinaris was subsequently arrested and placed under the care of a centurion. Because that centurion happened to be a Christian, he permitted the bishop to escape. He was then pursued by the raging populace, who attacked and severely wounded him and left him for dead. The bishop was later found by Christians and died seven days later (July 23) as a result of his wounds. Apollinaris had been bishop of Ravenna for about twenty years, and the year of his death is sometimes given as 70. However, the latest edition of the Martyrologium Romanum (2001) agrees with St. Severus and gives his death as occurring sometime in the second century. Ursicinus, the Bishop of Ravenna (532–36), began a church in his honor, which was later dedicated by his successor Maximian in 549. It was then that the saint’s body was translated there. That church, now known as San Apollinare in Classe, still stands and because of its magnificent sixth-century mosaics is one of the wonders of Ravenna.