Saint Septimius of Iesi ( it, Settimio di Jesi) (d. 307) was the first

bishop of Iesi The diocese of Iesi ( la, Dioecesis Aesina) is a Catholic ecclesiastical territory in the Marche, Italy. It is a suffragan of the archdiocese of Ancona-Osimo.

martyr A martyr (, ''mártys'', "witness", or , ''marturia'', stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an externa ...

, and 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 ...

. Septimius was born in

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

, and after an education in the liberal arts, began a military career. After he converted to Christianity, he parted with his family, who did not convert, and went to Italy where he worked as a minister in

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...

. He was forced out of Milan during the

Diocletianic Persecution The Diocletianic or Great Persecution was the last and most severe persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire. In 303, the emperors Diocletian, Maximian, Galerius, and Constantius issued a series of edicts rescinding Christians' legal rights ...

in 303. He later made his way to Rome, where the miracles he performed impressed

Pope Marcellus I Pope Marcellus I (6 January 255 – 16 January 309) was the bishop of Rome from May or June 308 to his death. He succeeded Marcellinus after a considerable interval. Under Maxentius, he was banished from Rome in 309, on account of the tumult ca ...

so much that he made Septimius bishop of

Iesi Jesi, also spelled Iesi (), is a town and ''comune'' of the province of Ancona in Marche, Italy. It is an important industrial and artistic center in the floodplain on the left (north) bank of the Esino river before its mouth on the Adriatic ...

. Septimius established

Iesi Cathedral Jesi, also spelled Iesi (), is a town and ''comune'' of the province of Ancona in Marche, Italy. It is an important industrial and artistic center in the floodplain on the left (north) bank of the Esino river before its mouth on the Adriatic ...

.. This was dedicated to him until at least 1208, although the dedication is now to the

Holy Savior Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects ( ...

A local magistrate, Florentius, opposed the dedication of the cathedral after Septimius refused to make a sacrifice to the pagan gods. Florentius subsequently ordered Septimius to be decapitated. The body of Septimius was exhumed in 1469, although the cult of Septimius dated from much earlier. A new altar was consecrated to the saint at the cathedral in 1623. Septimius is the patron saint of Iesi. His feast day was on September 5 until 1623, when it was changed to September 22.

Notes and references

Sources

Santi e Beati: San Settimio de Jesi
307 deaths 4th-century Romans 4th-century Christian martyrs Bishops in le Marche Year of birth unknown Septimii Iesi Diocletianic Persecution Saints {{italy-RC-bishop-stub