MONDAY February 14, 2000 volume 11, no. 31	To print out entire text of Today's issue, go to	SECTION ONE SECTION TWO SECTION THREE

The Origins of Valentine's Day

   There are many myths about the origin of St. Valentine's Day, but there are also facts substantiating that it was established as a Church feast to counteract a Roman pagan feast. When Saint Valentine was jailed by Claudius, the children of the martyred parents, relatives and friends sent him notes of love and encouragement.

    Other historians report that Valentine willingly married young Christian couples even though the Roman authorities forbid it, but Valentine believed it was important to perpetuate life through the Holy Sacrament of Matrimony and procreation as God intended so Christianity could spread from the seeds of the martyrs. Another claim on its roots was that many pastors and bishops demanded it to counter the Roman pagan feast on February 15th of the goddess Februata Juno. On that day the emphasis was on the heathen practice of boys picking the names of girls through a drawing with the outcome being they could do anything lewd and obscene they wished on that feast.

    Thus the Church unofficially, at first, established St. Valentine's Day to emphasize the virtue of marital love and courtship. From the fourth century on the Church acknowledged St. Valentine's Day on February 14th and in the middle ages, the custom of sending cards or "Valentines" began from the medieval belief that birds, returning from the winter refuge, began pairing on that day. St. Valentine was a Roman priest and a physician who assisted Saint Marius (another Roman saint who was displaced by ordinary time) in ministering to the physical and spiritual and assisting the many martyrs persecuted under the reign of the vindictive Roman emperor Claudius II, who incarcerated Valentine and made every cruel effort to get the saint to forsake his faith. Valentine would have none of it and thus Claudius ordered the loyal priest be beaten with heavy clubs and beheaded. He was executed on February 14th, 270 and buried on the Flaminian Way, where seventy years later Pope Julius I decreed a basilica be built in his honor.

    Research by Church historians uncovered the fact Valentine was also the bishop of Terni, sixty miles from Rome, but held his priestly duties above any exalted office in order to better reach the people. The gate leading to the church that was completed in 350 was called Porta Valentini. Most of his relics reside in the Church of Saint Praxedes.

          

February 14, 2000 volume 11, no. 31 ORIGINS OF ST. VALENTINE'S DAY To print out text of Today's issue, go to: SECTION ONE | SECTION TWO | SECTION THREE FEATURES IN TODAY'S ISSUE OF THE DailyCATHOLIC-------> Back to Front Page of Today's issue: volume 11, no. 31... Pat Ludwa's VIEW FROM THE PEW column THE VICAR OF CHRIST SPEAKS GIFT OF OUR FAITH series Michael V. Boyer's Hollywood column Daily LITURGY This DAY in CHURCH HISTORY Origins of Valentine's Day Monthly Medjugorje Message TOP 100 CATHOLICS: 1-50 TOP 100 CATHOLICS: 51-100 HISTORY OF THE MASS AND CHURCH Chapters 1-106 ARCHIVES FOR 1997 to 2000 issues OTHER PORTS TO NAVIGATE ON THE DAILY CATHOLIC ----> Back to Homeport Page ARCHIVES FOR 1997 to 2000 issues E-mail Editor Ports o' Call Links DailyCATHOLIC ShipLogs What the DailyCATHOLIC offers The DailyCATHOLIC's Mission Who we are Why the DailyCATHOLIC is FREE! Why we need your help Books offered Permissions to recirculate material Catholic & World News Ticker Headlines Catholic Webrings		Search for anything from the last three years in past issues of the DailyCATHOLIC: