Today, January 20 is the feast day of Saint Sebastian, a saint that has been venerated in a large number of cities (including my city, Palma de Mallorca).
In the past it was considered as a protector of the population against the plague. That is why we will dedicate an entry writing some data about him.
Born in Narbonne in 256 and martyred in Rome in 288.
Revered by the Catholic Church and Orthodoxy, he belonged to the Roman army in the time of Diocletian. He would even become head of the first cohort of the imperial praetorian guard. However, his Christian faith during this time of persecution, which led him to receive threats from the Emperor Maximian until he was finally condemned to death by asaeteado (rain of arrows) The soldiers took him to a stadium, stripped him naked and tied him to a post, and then launched on him a rain of arrows. When he was abandoned he was still alive, so his friends kept him in hiding for a while, and having the possibility of fleeing Rome, St. Sebastian decided once again to stand up to the Emperor Maximian, and reproach him for the persecution suffered by his brothers. But he did not yield, and had the saint tortured to death. His body was collected by Christians and buried on the Appian Way, in the Catacombs that now bear his name.
Finally we are going to talk about the patronage of San Sebastian in the City of Palma, related to the character of protector of the plague that is linked to San Sebastian. Although its veneration was somewhat earlier, in the sixteenth century landed in Palma a presbyter of Rhodes fleeing the Turkish War. He carried with him a relic of Saint Sebastian. When they decided to leave the Island, a great storm broke out, which grew as they considered moving away from the coast. This fact was interpreted as meaning that the relics were to remain in the City. It is also attributed a miraculous character, since it coincided with the end of the plague. From there, a confraternity dedicated to the saint was created and procedures were initiated to make his patronage official.
