Apollinaris was made Bishop of Ravenna, Italy, by Saint Peter the Apostle himself. The miracles he wrought there soon attracted official attention. His preaching won many converts to the Faith, while at the same time brought upon him the fury of the idolaters, who beat him cruelly and drove him from the city.
He was found half-dead on the seashore, and kept in concealment by the Christians, but was captured again and compelled to walk on burning coals and a second time expelled. But he remained in the vicinity, and continued his work of evangelization. He then journeyed in the Roman province of Aemilia in Italy. And a third time he returned to Ravenna. Again he was captured, hacked with knives, had scalding water poured over his wounds, was beaten in the mouth with stones because he persisted in preaching, and was flung into a horrible dungeon, loaded with chains, to starve to death.
After four days, he was put on board a ship and sent to Greece. There, the same course of preachings, miracles and sufferings continued. And when his very presence caused the oracles to be silent, he was, after a cruel beating, sent back to Italy. All this continued for three years, and a fourth time he returned to Ravenna. By this time Vespasian was Emperor and to find solution to the complaints of the pagans, issued a decree of banishment against the Christians.
Apollinaris was kept hidden for some time, but as he was passing out of the gates of the city, he was set upon and savagely beaten at Classis but he lived for seven days, foretelling meantime that the persecutions would increase, but that the Church would ultimately triumph. It is not certain what was his native place, though it was probably Antioch in Syria. The precise date of his consecration cannot be ascertained, but he was Bishop of Ravenna for twenty-six years. Centuries after his death, he appeared in a vision to ST Romould.
Keep doing the good that you do. For whatever you do, someone will be against it. But so long as you know it is Right, never deter from doing it. Speak the Word of God out of your mouth through your Actions. Amen
St. Apollinaris, pray for us. Happy feast day us all.
Compiled by Elvira Kudiabor
