St. Lawrence Day

Starry skySt. Lawrence was one of the seven decons of ancient Rome who were subjected to torture and religious persecution by order of the Roman emperor Valerian in 258. During his reign, it was forbidden to organize meetings and meetings of Christian believers, as well as to show disrespect for the rites and traditions of the pagans. Many priests and bishops were sentenced to death, while Christians belonging to the nobility or parliament were stripped of their property and exiled.

Laurentius worked closely with Pope Sixtus II, the first victim of the emperor’s persecution, assisted him in preparing for various rites, was responsible for the property of the church, and took care of the poor. After the death of the pope, the prefect of Rome demanded that Laurentius give him all the riches and treasures of the church in three days. Without delay, he organized the distribution of church property among the poor to prevent an unjust takeover.

On the third day, at the head of a small delegation, he came to a meeting with the prefect, and when he was ordered to give all his property, Laurentius gave him a poor man, lame, blind, suffering, and said that they were the real treasure and wealth of the church. This act of open defiance was immediately followed by brutal torture.

Every year, on the night of August 10 to August 11, Italians turn their hopes to the sky to see a shooting star.

St. Lawrence's Torture

Indeed, since ancient times on this night, the sufferings of St. Lawrence are commemorated, and the starry rain represents the pouring tears of the saint during unbearable bodily tortures. The stars wander through the heavens forever, and come down to earth only on the day Laurentius died, creating an atmosphere of magic and miracles.

It is believed that on this night the wishes of all those who remembered the sufferings of the holy martyr may be fulfilled. For each falling star, the poem "Star, my star, I wish ..." is pronounced and then, during the year, the wish is expected to be fulfilled.

According to popular tradition, the falling stars are also called the lights of St. Lawrence, because the sparks emanating from the red-hot grille on which the martyr was killed soared into the sky. Just like St. Paul died. Laurentius: according to one version he was burnt to death, according to another he was beheaded, as was Pope Sixtus II. His body was buried in Rome on Tiburtina Street, and after a while Emperor Constantine I built a small chapel on his grave.