The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1905-02-18
cATAcoMR OF ST. VALENTINE.

NIslI 10 nome Is not complete without an in
specuon OF the Catacombs. Behold us ON tbo IA
Vl IeDrualy on our way to the Catacomb of ST
Valentine What a relief to enter from tbo al,
strong wind into that underground cbo,hon
win the candles which served for an adornn,or+ o.
wen as Tor illumination There is ALWAYS sometb;n
inviting IN those mysterious vet eloouent insc;,F7
lions OF symbols that the treasures of tbe ata
combs % 'i'0 cat
1t was cemetery-but no one +b;nl oro,
feels that anything like the gleom of death Is toro
IT Is something at once solemn. sacred and iovful
JhaI pervades the whole surrounding
though the crypt and catacombs. still bearipo
the name OF st Valentine have been reduced 70 .
very rough state through long years of abandon
inen' there Is much to indicate that St Valentines
name was once held in great veneration in the To-
caty. basilica in his honor once stood mon +bo
site OF or near the crypt, and the body of the saint
VINO died Tor the faith under the Emperor Claudius
II, "a u. 269), was inferred in the crypt itself.
Inc numerous inscriptions which have been
Drought 10 hight III the catacombs or the vicinity
point to the fact that the maryr was regarded as q
special paron of the district and his last resting
place, the center around which the faithful chose
their burial ground in the form of the loculi cut
out OF the sohd rock tufo In more than one
instance the inscription placed on the tombs ex-
presses the prayer that through the intercession
and merit of the martyr life of less faithfulness
and generosity may find mercy before the Lord and
Judge Of both
Perhaps the most striking discovery in this
cemetery are several frescoes which have been de-
Scrlbed by Father o. Marucchi. whose lectures in
the catacomb on the feast of ST Valentine are
source of interest and instruction. One of these
represents St. Valentine and two other saints An
other depicts the Virgin Mother of God holding in
her arms her Divine Son, and at one side some let
ters still remain of the inscription: 'Sta Del GEM
trix."
One cannot but experience feeling of regret
that the spot which tells so clearly of veneration
and devotion which has passed away should now be
scarce more than a place of occasional visitation
from motives of curiosity. The reference to the
crypt of st. Valentine by a medieval pilgrim as
the place where lamps were ever burning 'ubi SEM
per ardebant lampades" reminds one of that other
sanctuary not far distant where the body of st.
Agnes still reposes surrounded with borning lamps
AN object of veneration to every Catholic whether
he visit from the Eternal City close by, or pilgrim
from some foreign cline
Not naturally it is often asked what may be the
connection between the Roman martyr, and the
custom of the valentine" There seems to be
none except that the exchange of valentines
practiced on the saints feast day As it is general
ly supposed to have developed out of pagan
tom it is not improbable that the day was
retained from pagan times, but the custom was
Christianized with the name of the saint whose
memory was kept on that day.-Cathohc Column
ban.