Saint Valentine was a real person and is a saint of the Roman Catholic Church. This gets obscured around the holiday on February 14, as the massive greeting card and gift mechanism associated with it tends to overwhelm historical memory.

Saint Valentine was a third-century Catholic. He was, we think, a Bishop who is now associated with relationships and love. He is also a patron saint of Terni, epilepsy, and beekeepers. He was martyred, and his body lies on the Via Flaminia. Did you think a Saint associated with relationships could be martyred?

Saint Valentine Background

We are not sure exactly when he was born, though it is thought Saint Valentine was born in 225. We do know, however, that he died on February 14, 269 or 270, in the Roman Empire. One of the most interesting things about Saint Valentine is that we are not quite sure who he was.

The “Catholic Encyclopedia” and other sources reference three Saints Valentine who appear in connection with February 14. One was a Roman priest, another was the Bishop of Interamna (modern-day Terni). Both were buried along the Via Flaminia outside Rome, at different distances from the city. This is where the real Saint Valentine was said to be buried, and he is almost certainly person number two. The third was a saint who suffered on the same day with several companions in the Roman province of Africa, of whom we know nothing else.

The Legends of Saint Valentine

According to legend, he signed a letter “from your Valentine” to his jailer’s daughter, whom he had befriended and healed from blindness. This is one possible explanation for why he is associated with relationships and the holiday. Another legend says that he defied the emperor’s orders and secretly married couples to spare the husbands from being conscripted to serve in war. That is pretty brave; to defy the emperor was a big deal.

Drama

The drama associated with this Saint is that there is controversy over who he was, and, regardless, his name has been corrupted by greeting card companies.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who was Saint Valentine?
He was a real person and a Catholic Saint, though we are not sure who he is. He was probably a Bishop, and it is a little amazing that someone so inconspicuous is now so famously associated with a holiday.

Why is he associated with relationships?
Saint Valentine, it seems, did nothing special to warrant being associated with relationships. The modern dating of the association of this Saint with relationships is the fourteenth century. Indeed, many of the current legends that characterize Saint Valentine were invented in the 14th century in England, notably by Geoffrey Chaucer.

Are there any relics from Saint Valentine?
Most Saints have relics. But, as you might expect, the relics of Saint Valentine are in numerous places. Numerous churches around the world claim to possess his relics. These include his skull on display in a glass reliquary at the Basilica di Santa Maria in Cosmed in Rome. Which is a little grotesque.

There is also a shoulder blade housed at the Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in Prague, which was discovered in the church’s basement in 2002. A vessel tinged with his blood, along with sundry other artifacts, is at the Whitefriar Street Church in Dublin, and relics are kept inside a wax effigy of the saint situated in front of the altar of the Old St. Ferdinand Shrine in Florissant, Missouri. Relics are popular for this saint because his feast day is famous.

Conclusion

For whatever reason, the life of the actual Catholic Saint Valentine has been usurped by greeting card companies. We do not know much about the real Saint Valentine, though he was probably a Bishop of Interamna. What is clear is that he was a real person. He is probably best remembered for his linkage to a major holiday.