Laurence of Siponto, also known as Laurence Maioranus ( it, Lorenzo Maiorano) (d. 7 February, c. 545), is an Italian saint, patron of the city of

Manfredonia Manfredonia is a town and commune of Apulia, Italy, in the province of Foggia, from which it is northeast by rail. Manfredonia is situated on the coast, facing east, to the south of Monte Gargano, and gives its name to the gulf to the east of ...

and the

Archdiocese of Manfredonia-Vieste-San Giovanni Rotondo In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, pro ...

. Manfredonia Cathedral is dedicated to him. He is credired with founded the shrine to Saint Michael the Archangel on Mount Gargano.

Life

According to a ninth century "vita", Laurence was from Constantinople. The bishopric of Siponto being vacant, the residents sent to Constantinople for a successor. Around 491

Emperor Zeno Zeno (; grc-gre, Ζήνων, Zénōn; c. 425 – 9 April 491) was Eastern Roman emperor from 474 to 475 and again from 476 to 491. Domestic revolts and religious dissension plagued his reign, which nevertheless succeeded to some extent in forei ...

appointed his relative Laurence. It is not clear whether Laurence was consecrated bishop in Constantinople or in Rome by

Pope Gelasius I Pope Gelasius I was the bishop of Rome from 1 March 492 to his death on 19 November 496. Gelasius was a prolific author whose style placed him on the cusp between Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages.The title of his biography by Walter Ullma ...

. Laurence arrived in Siponto, bringing with him the relics of Saint Agatha and Saint Stephen.Borrelli, Antonio, " San Lorenzo Maiorano Vescovo di Siponto", Santi e Beati, January 28, 2004
/ref> Shortly after his appointment in 491 he received the visions of

Saint Michael Michael (; he, מִיכָאֵל, lit=Who is like El od, translit=Mīḵāʾēl; el, Μιχαήλ, translit=Mikhaḗl; la, Michahel; ar, ميخائيل ، مِيكَالَ ، ميكائيل, translit=Mīkāʾīl, Mīkāl, Mīkhāʾīl), also ...

which led to the establishment of the shrine of Monte Gargano. Saint Laurence is patron of the city of Manfredonia. His

relics In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains of a saint or the personal effects of the saint or venerated person preserved for purposes of veneration as a tangi ...

are now in Cattedrale di San Lorenzo Maiorano, where they were translated in 1327 by Bishop Matteo Orsini from Siponto Cathedral where they lay under the high altar. During the fire and the destruction of the first cathedral by the Turks in 1620, the body of Saint Laurence was also destroyed, except for the right arm, which remains in the cathedral today. His feast is on 7 February.

References

Sources and external links

Catholic.org: summary biography
* Vailati, Valentino, 1990: ''San Lorenzo Maiorano vescovo e protagonista nella storia di Manfredonia''. Edizioni del Golfo Italian saints Bishops in Apulia 6th-century Christian saints 540s deaths People from Manfredonia Year of birth unknown {{Italy-saint-stub