ON SS. CHRYSANTHUS AND FORTUNATUS PRESBYTERS OF PAVIA IN ITALY.
CENT. I
CommentaryChrysanthus, Presbyter of Pavia in Italy (S.)
Fortunatus, Presbyter of Pavia in Italy (S.)
BY THE AUTHOR G. H.
[1] The first Bishop of the city of Pavia or Ticinum was S. Syrus, and its principal Patron, whose illustrious Acts we have from various codices to be given on the day IX of December, and the same are found in tome 2 of Mombritius, Presbyters ordained by S. Syrus, and on XII September edited by Surius. There the following are read: The grace of God was diffused in the city of Pavia, and the fame of the holy man being divulged, from various parts the frequency of many peoples came to him: in which most happy city he established Ecclesiastical orders, and made his disciples Juventius and Pompeius Deacons, and ordained Chrysanthus an illustrious man and Fortunatus a most distinguished man as Presbyters. Almost the same has Peter de Natalibus bk. 1 ch. 50. Of these Juventius, then third Bishop of Pavia, is venerated VIII February, when we gave his Acts; and S. Pompeius the second Bishop, on XIV December: but SS. Chrysanthus and Fortunatus the Presbyters, on this XV May; when also they are referred by Ferrarius in the General Catalogue of Saints, referred 15 May, likewise in the Catalogue of Saints of Italy, both in the Topographical Index of places of Italy, and in the Alphabetical Index of Saints. Tablets of the Church of S. Gervase of Pavia are cited by Ferrarius, buried in the church of S. Gervase, in which their bodies are kept. That their bodies are preserved there, in a marble ark, together with the bodies of SS. Boninus, Soterius and Paulinus the Martyrs, a stone placed opposite affirms, on which below at the names of those three likewise to be venerated on this day: and at the same time it signifies the most recent and common translation of all five to have been made on the Kal. of November 1626. Stephen Breventanus of Pavia bk. 2 of the Pavian History ch. 2, Innocentius ab Ecclesia, bk. 1 of the Life of S. Syrus written in Italian, ch. 6; and John Baptist in the Breviary of the Lives of the Holy Bishops of Pavia, where on S. Syrus, moreover think, that he, having received from Hermagoras Bishop of Aquileia disciples and companions, Juventius, Pompeius, Chrysanthus and Fortunatus, came to Verona and thence to Ticinum. But, why may we not rather believe SS. Chrysanthus and Fortunatus to have been Ticinensians, and converted to Christ in their own homeland?