Saint Vincent of Saragossa

Bio

St. Vincent of Saragossa was a deacon of the Church in Roman Hispania. He served as the spokesman for Valerius, the local bishop, who had a speech disorder. The two of them were arrested in the early 4th century under the persecution of Christians by the Emperor Diocletian, and ordered to give up sacred scriptures to be destroyed. Vincent's loud mouth enraged his jailer, who had him tortured to death and his body flung out to be devoured by wild animals. According to his legend, ravens proteccted his body until his community could recover it, and his shrine and church were visited by ravens for centuries afterward. Valerius was exiled and is recognized as a saint in his own right. Their activities would have involved mutual aid, community organization, and disloyalty to the Roman state and its mandatory ritual observances, so I perceive Vincent as a vocal anarchist organizer.

St. Vincent is also one of my patrons: I am a member of the International Order of St. Vincent, an order for lay ministers. I created this icon out of a sense of pious creativity and affection for the other OSV members at my parish.

Iconography

• Palm frond: a traditional symbol for martyrs, and part of Vincent's traditional iconography.
• Thurible: also part of Vincent's traditional iconography. I am a thurifer at my parish, so I feel a connection.
• Deacon's dalmatic: part of Vincent's traditional iconography.
• Raven: part of Vincent's legend and associated with his shrine and church. Ravens are said to have guarded his body after his martyrdom.
• "Thou shalt find me stronger than thou hast power to torment me": a line from his legend. Vincent says this to the official who is having him tortured.