Every now and again, certain communities go above and beyond to honour their patron saint in a spectacular display of devotion which stands out from the rest.
San Sebastiano, or Saint Sebastian, the patron saint of athletes, archers and ‘holy death’, receives a day of celebration like no other.
The Feast Day of Saint Sebastian takes place across many Italian towns on January 20 each year.
What is the story behind this holy man and martyr?
Saint Sebastian came from Milan to Rome in A.D. 283 and, concealing his Christian faith, he joined the Roman army under Emperor Carinus.
Recognised for his courage, Saint Sebastian was appointed captain of the Praetorian Guard - one of the most famous and elite military groups in Roman History - under Emperor Diocletian and his co-emperor Maximian.
Over the years, Saint Sebastian converted myriad Romans to Christianity; however, most of them were destined for martyrdom.
It was in A.D. 286 that Saint Sebastian was identified as a Christian.
When Emperor Diocletian eventually discovered Saint Sebastian’s devotion to the Christian faith, he was tied to a tree and shot with arrows by archers, then left for dead.
Irene of Rome, the wife of a converted Christian, reached Saint Sebastian while he was on the brink of death, and managed to nurse him back to health.
Once recovered from his wounds, Saint Sebastian visited Diocletian to berate the emperor for his persecution of Christians.
Saint Sebastian’s words fell on deaf ears, and he was clubbed to death and dumped in a nearby sewer.
Supporters of the martyr later removed his body from its gruesome location and buried it in the catacombs at the Cemetery of Callixtus.
The remains of Saint Sebastian are said to be housed in San Sebastiano fuori le mura, a basilica in Rome which was originally named Basilica Apostolorum and became dedicated to the saint in the 9th century.
Saint Sebastian is often depicted as a young, peaceful man tied to a post or tree, wearing nothing but a loincloth and punctured with arrows.
He is the patron saint of many Italian towns, including the Sicilian communes of Palazzolo Acreide, Mistretta, Acireale and Melilli, the Calabrian village of Petilia Policastro, and Caserta in the region of Campania.
On January 20, the community of Palazzolo Acreide comes together to witness the statue of Saint Sebastian be carried out of the church by a group of men dressed in red and white.
In a moment of exhilaration, cannons explode shooting coloured ribbon across the crowd of worshippers.
Once the ribbon has settled, the statue is revealed and paraded along the streets through a mass of cheering spectators.
Babies are thrust into the air to receive a blessing from the statue and are subsequently protected by Saint Sebastian.
Cries of “Viva San Sebastiano!” resound throughout the town.
Similar parades unfold across the island of Sicily and in other Italian towns which pay tribute to Saint Sebastian, while his life and death are also commemorated in countries such as Malta, Spain and Brazil.
While Saint Sebastian may have died a terrible death, he has left a lasting legacy among the Christian community across the globe – a community which may not have existed today without pioneers like him.
