December 30 + Saint Sabinus

Sabinus was a heroic Bishop in the Church who resisted the persecutions of Diocletian and was martyred.

According to tradition, Venustian, the governor of Etruria and Umbria and under the rule of Diocletian, had Sabinus and his deacons arrested in Assisi. Diocletian ordered all Christians to sacrifice to the gods or be put to death, and their estates were to be seized for the state. Venustian mocked Sabinus' Faith, accusing him of leading the people to the worship of a dead man. When Sabinus said that Christ rose from the dead on the third day, Venustian invited him to do the same thing. Venustian had Sabinus arrested and had his hands cut off. The deacons were in great fear, but Sabinus encouraged them to hold to their Faith, and they died after being torn apart by iron hooks.

While in prison after the martyrdom of his deacons, Sabinus was aided there by a Christian widow of rank, who brought her blind nephew to him to be cured. Fifteen prisoners who witnessed this splendid miracle converted to the Faith. Venustian heard of the cure and sought a cure for his own eyes from Sabinus. Sabinus healed the governor and converted him to Christianity. Venustian then sheltered Sabinus.

Maximianus Herculius, hearing of this, ordered the tribune Lucius to address the matter. Lucius had Venustian, his wife, and his two sons beheaded at Assisi, and he had Sabinus beaten to death at Spoleto in the year 300.