Gervasius and Protasius - Veneration

Veneration

J. Rendel Harris, "The Dioscuri in the Christian Legends" (London 1903) addressed the subject of twin saints in Christian legend, who seem to be connected with the Dioscuri, whose cult was tenacious, to surmise from an oration decrying their veneration by Dio Chrystostom ("Orations" 61.11). The historicity of Gervasius and Protasius was defended in the "Analecta Bollandist." (1904), XXIII, 427.

Immediately after the discovery of the relics by Saint Ambrose, the cult of Saints Gervasius and Protasius was spread in Italy, and churches were built in their honor at Pavia, Nola and other places. In Gaul (modern-day France), we find churches dedicated to them, about 400, at Mans, Rouen and Soissons. At the Louvre in Paris, there is now a famous picture of the saints by Lesueur (d. 1655), which was formerly in their church at Paris. According to the "Liber Pontificalis," Pope Innocent I (402-417) dedicated a church to them at Rome. Later, the name of St Vitalis, their father, was added to the title of this church (Basilica of San Vitale). Very early on their names were inserted in the Litany of the Saints.

In 835, Angilbert II, Bishop of Milan, placed the relics of the three saints in a porphyry sarcophagus, where they were found in January 1864.

A tradition claims that after the destruction of Milan by Frederick Barbarossa, his chancellor Rainald of Dassel had taken the relics from Milan, and deposited them at Breisach in Germany, whence some came to Soissons. The claim is rejected by Milan.

Nevertheless, they were venerated by farmers in Germany and a German saying amongst harvesters was: "Wenn's regnet auf Gervasius / es vierzig Tage regnen muss" ("When it rains on St Gervasius' Day / forty days of rain will follow"). Thus, as with the cults of Saint Swithun, Saint Medard, the Seven Sleepers, and Saint Godelieve, that of Sts Gervasius and Protasius was connected with the weather.

A famous series of tapestries of the "Life of Gervasius and Protasius," donated to the Cathedral of Antwerp in 1509 is displayed in the cathedral's choir.

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