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 From the Vatican Library Reopening Issue of 2010 Saints Cosmos and Damian (Scott 1450) Saints Cosmas and Damian are believed to have been martyred in approximately 303, during the Diocletian persecutions of Christians. They were martyred in Cyrrhus, a city in northwest Syria on the border with Turkey. David Farmer observes that the saints fame spread from a “famous basilica” built in their honor in that city which was founded in 300 by one of Alexander the Great’s generals. The ruins of Cyrrhus are located about 70 kilometers northwest of Aleppo. Virtually nothing specific is known about these two brothers – only the story of their martyrdom. Cosmas and Damian are patron saints of physicians. They are said to have ministered to the sick, both people and animals, and did so as acts of charity. They were martyred for refusing to deny their Christian faith. Fra Angelico painted a series of frescoes depicting the saints’ gruesome martyrdom – by torture, fire, crucifixion, and beheading. The image produced on a 2010 Vatican City stamp (Scott 1450, shown above) is from a Vatican Apostolic Library manuscript to commemorate the reopening of the library after extensive renovation. The names of Saints Cosmas and Damian are recalled in the Roman Canon of the Mass. REFERENCES: ***CARD TEXT*** Learn about the patron saints of physicians by clicking here. GET PHOTO FROM WIKIMEDIA COMMONS |
