Saint Arcadius of Mauretania
- Memorial
- 12 January
- Profile
- Wealthy and prominent citizen, and a closet Christian.
During a persecution in Mauritania, he withdrew to live as a hidden hermit, prayerful and out of harm's way.
The authorities wanted to use him as an example, and arrested a relative, threatening him with harm unless Arcadius turned himself in.
Arcadius came in from the forests and went straight to court to trade himself for his kinsman.
The judge said he would release the prisoners only if Arcadius would publicly sacrfice to a pagan god.
Arcadius declined; martyr.
As he was mutilated to death, he continued to preach Jesus to the watching pagans.
- Died
- slowly hacked to death one joint, appendage and limb at a time c.302 at Caesarea, Mauritania (near modern Algiers)
- Canonized
- Pre-Congregation
- Representation
-
early Christian martyr with a club in his hand;
early Christian with a lighted taper
man on a rack;
man with his limbs chopped off
- Translate
-
español | français | deutsch | italiano | português
- Readings
- Lord, teach me thy wisdom.
- Arcadius's dying words, repeated over and over as he was hacked apart
