The abbreviation of Vitus contains the name Vitalis, the vigorous. Other forms of the name are either Veit or Vit. The oldest testimony about this young martyr from Sicilia is to be found in the Martyrologium Hieronymianum in 450. His parents were pagans. He himself was baptised and brought up in the house of a Christian couple. His father was angry when he heard about his son's baptism. The legend tells us that Emperor Diocletian sent this boy to prison although he had healed his son from madness. The brave boy finished his life at the age of 12 in a kettle of pitch. So the kettle became the significant attribute of him. Later the cock and the eagle, symbols of vigilance and the book as a sign of his religious zeal were added. His bones were transferred to St. Denis in Paris, in 836 from there to Corvey Abbey (Weser) which became the centre of worship of St. Vitus. Saxons and people from Pomerania honour him as their patron. In 1335 Emperor Charles IV brought the skull as a pretious relic to Prague. The majestic Cathedral of St. Veit has got his name. So Vitus, too, is the national Saint of Bohemia. Beside some important churches at Brunswick, Hildesheim, Nuremberg there are more than 1000 churches in Germany called after him.
| Name: | Vitus in Latin: full of life |
| Day of Commemoration: | June 15th |
| Native Place: | Sicilia |
| Year of Death: | about 304 martyred under the government of Emperor Diocletian |
| Distinguishing Feature: | kettle filled with oil, cock, eagle, book |
| Particular Patronage: | helper against attacks of epilepsy, cases of emergency, hydrophobia, snake-bite, against thunderstorms, at the time of seed and harvest, patron of lame and blind people, smiths, coopers, gastronomes, brewers, actors, chemists, patron of many guilds and fraternities, of the youth, patron against diseases of men and animals (mainly poultry). |
Prayer:St. Vitus, for many centuries you helped many people who came to you with their worries. Protect our country, our families, especially young people. Show our children the right way into the future. Give us the strength to transmit a living faith to them. Help us to accompany and to understand them.
