Saint Hermes, born in
Greece, died in
Rome as a
martyr in 120, is venerated as a
saint
In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of Q-D-Š, holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and Christian denomination, denominat ...
by the
Catholic Church and the
Eastern Orthodox Church. His name appears in the ''Martyrologium Hieronymianum'' as well as entries in the ''Depositio Martyrum'' (354). There was a large
basilica over his tomb that was built around 600 by
Pope Pelagius I and restored by
Pope Adrian I. A
catacomb
Catacombs are man-made subterranean passageways for religious practice. Any chamber used as a burial place is a catacomb, although the word is most commonly associated with the Roman Empire.
Etymology and history
The first place to be referred ...
in the
Salarian Way bears his name.
Background
In the
Roman Rite
The Roman Rite ( la, Ritus Romanus) is the primary liturgical rite of the Latin Church, the largest of the ''sui iuris'' particular churches that comprise the Catholic Church. It developed in the Latin language in the city of Rome and, while dist ...
, his feast is on 28 August. Under that date, he appears in the
Roman Martyrology, the official but professedly incomplete list of saints recognized by the Catholic Church. The entry is as follows: "In the Cemetery of Basilia on the Old Salarian Way, Saint Hermes, Martyr, whom, as reported by
Saint Damasus
Pope Damasus I (; c. 305 – 11 December 384) was the bishop of Rome from October 366 to his death. He presided over the Council of Rome of 382 that determined the canon or official list of sacred scripture. He spoke out against major heresies ( ...
,
Greece sent forth, but Rome kept as its citizen when he died for the holy name."
His existence is attested by his early cult. However, his ''Acts'', included in those of
Pope Alexander I, are legendary. They depict Hermes as a wealthy freedman who with his companions was martyred in Rome, being killed on the orders of a judge named Aurelian.
Veneration
Some of his
relics were given to
Spoleto by
Pope Gregory the Great. Other relics went to
Lothair I
Lothair I or Lothar I (Dutch and Medieval Latin: ''Lotharius''; German: ''Lothar''; French: ''Lothaire''; Italian: ''Lotario'') (795 – 29 September 855) was emperor (817–855, co-ruling with his father until 840), and the governor of Bavar ...
by
Pope Leo IV
Pope Leo IV (790 – 17 July 855) was the bishop of Rome and ruler of the Papal States from 10 April 847 to his death. He is remembered for repairing Roman churches that had been damaged during the Arab raid against Rome, and for building the Leon ...
; Lothair brought them first to
Cornelismünster, near
Aachen
Aachen ( ; ; Aachen dialect: ''Oche'' ; French and traditional English: Aix-la-Chapelle; or ''Aquisgranum''; nl, Aken ; Polish: Akwizgran) is, with around 249,000 inhabitants, the 13th-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia, and the 28th- ...
. The relics later came to
Ronse in the 9th century. During those times,
Viking raids forced the monks to flee the town more than once, and the monastery was burnt by the
Normans in 880. The relics were recovered in 940 and housed in a
Romanesque-style
crypt
A crypt (from Latin ''crypta'' "vault") is a stone chamber beneath the floor of a church or other building. It typically contains coffins, sarcophagi, or religious relics.
Originally, crypts were typically found below the main apse of a chur ...
in 1083. The ''Fiertelommegang'' (Fiertel Procession) that has been held here since 1090, a procession with the relics throughout the city.
The church of Saint Hermes, which was later built on top of the crypt, was
consecrated
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service. The word ''consecration'' literally means "association with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different grou ...
in 1129. A pilgrimage in honour of the saint, who had by then become known for curing mental illnesses, sustained the local economy. There is still a
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
saying today which translates as "Saint Hermes cures the area's madmen but keeps the Ronse dwellers as they are". Hermes is the patron saint of Ronse.
Although he is recognized as a saint of the Catholic Church, the commemoration of Saint Hermes in the
General Roman Calendar was removed in 1969 because of the paucity of information about him.
Gallery
Ronse - Sint-Hermeskerk 3.jpg , Church of Saint Hermes (Sint-Hirmes) in Ronse, Belgium.
See also
*
Hermas of Dalmatia
References
External links
Hermesat Patron Saints Index
at Enrosadira
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hermes
120 deaths
2nd-century Christian martyrs
Saints from Roman Greece
Year of birth unknown