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 Valerian Martyrs Issue Saint Lawrence Scott 256 (1959) 
Pope Sixtus II and St. Lawrence 500th Anniversary of the Birth of Fra Angelico Scott 195-196 (1955) Saint Lawrence is one of the best-known early deacons and martyrs of the Roman Church, martyred for his faith during the Valerian persecutions of 258. He was one of the seven deacons of Rome and is associated with Pope Saint Sixtus II (whose feast day falls on August 6), who was martyred a few days before Lawrence. Sixtus and his companions were buried in the cemetery where the Basilica of St. Lawrence Outside the Walls now stands. The Emperor Valerian ordered Christian bishops, priests, and deacons to be executed and confiscated their property. After the martyrdom of Sixtus II and his companions, Lawrence distributed the Church’s goods to many fellow Christians. When asked to produce the Church treasures, he told the Roman prefect that the poor were the treasure of the Church. As a result of his challenge to the Roman authorities he was martyred. It is generally held that he was martyred on a gridiron, but this dramatic account of his martyrdom may be open to question (he may have been beheaded), but it remains a popular aspect of his courage in faith in the face of death. Dawn Marie Beutner writes: The example of his life and death made a great impact on the people of Rome, and many became followers of Christ soon afterward.  St. Lawrence Receiving the Treasures of the Church, by Fra Angelico Niccoline Chapel, Vatican Apostolic Palace From Wikimedia Commons (in the public domain) The fresco by Fra Angelico, St. Lawrence Receiving the Treasures of the Church from Pope Sixtus II, shown above, is located in the Cappella Nicolina of the Vatican Apostolic Palace. It served as the inspiration for two of the stamps shown above, those issued to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the birth of the great early Renaissance artist.  Roman Basilicas Issue: Saint Lawrence Outside the Walls Scott 128 (1949) The Papal Basilica of Saint Lawrence outside the Walls), pictured on the stamp above from the Roman Basilicas Issue of 1949, is a papal minor basilica and one of seven churches devoted to Saint Lawrence in Rome. The Basilica is the shrine of the tomb of its namesake, Saint Lawrence, and also contains the tombs of many other saints, as well as Pope Pius IX.  Martyrdom of St. Lawrence Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, Ravenna From Wikimedia Commons, in the Public Domain Saint Lawrence is remembered in the Roman Canon of the Mass. In addition, a splendid mosaic in Ravenna at the Mausoleum of Galla Placida depicts Lawrence with a cross on his shoulder and a book of the Gospels, walking toward the fire and the gridiron. Ravenna’s 5th and 6th century mosaics are part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site contained in eight churches and other buildings. It is well worth a visit to this Adriatic Sea city, once the center for the Byzantine Exarchate in Italy. REFERENCES: |
