VINCENT OF SARAGOSSA, SAINT: Spanish saint and martyr of the early fourth century. According to tradition, he was born of a noble family at Osca (the modern Huesca, 180 m. n.e. of Madrid), was deacon of Bishop Valerius of Saragossa, and on the outbreak of the Diocletian persecution was taken with his bishop to Valencia to defend the faith before Datian, where he spoke with such eloquence that while the bishop was merely banished, he was exposed to the most horrible tortures, thrown into a dark hole, and made to lie on sharp atones and pointed sherds, whereupon angels turned his couch of pain to a soft bed. He then began to preach to the multitudes attracted by the miracle, and even Datian, declaring himself conquered, commanded that Vincent be taken from his place of torture. When, nevertheless, he died, the rage of Datian broke forth afresh. He ordered the corpse to be thrown to wild beasts,' when angels and even ravens protected it. The body was then sunk into the sea in a sack filled with stones, but it emerged and was borne by the winds to a haven, where the faithful buried it, later reverencing the relics by founding 'a chapel. This legend (contained in its fullest form in ASB, Jan., ii. 394-397; in briefer recension, Analecta Bollandiana, i. 263-270; and in entirely different form, MPG, cxiv. 735-756) is at least as old as the fourth century, as is shown by the four sermons of Augustine in honor of Vincent (Sermones, ccLxziv.-cclaxvii.; MPL, xxxviii. 1252-68) and the references of Prudentius in the fifth hymn of his Peristephanon (MPL, lx. 378411) and Paulinus of Nola (xix. 153).

At an early period the veneration of the saint spread from Spain and Africa to France. Gregory of Tours states that the Frankish kings Childebert and Chlotar were driven to raise the siege of Saragossa by a sight of the tunic of Vincent (MGH, Script. rer. Merov., L, ii. 133), and the anonymous author of the Liber historice Frartcorurre (ib. pp. 283-284), writing about 727, records that to the princes the garment was given by the bishop of the city. The relic was honored in the church of St. Vincent built at Paris by Childebert, the later church of St. Germain des Pros. The Aquitanian monastery of Castres claimed to possess the body of Vincentius after 864. On the other hand, Stephen, the precentor of Lisbon, declared that the body was brought from Valencia to Lisbon in 1175 (ASB, Jan., ii. 408-413; Analecta Bollandiana, i. 270-278); and the Epistola Hermanni abbatis Sancti Martini Torrtacen- sis de corpore Sancti Vincenti diaconi (Analecta Bollandiana, ii. 243-246) shows that it was- venerated in Valencia as late as 1145. Portions of the saint's remains were also reverenced elsewhere, his head at Le Mans, one arm at Vitry-le-François, and the other at Bari in Apulia, etc. Basilicas of St: Vincent are mentioned by Venantius Fortunatus, and the French cathedrals of ChAlons-sur-SSone, Macon, Viviers, and St. Malo were named in his honor. Rome has three churches named after him.

Vincent is honored as the patron saint of stolen goods, as well as in perils at sea; while wine-growers deem sunshine on his day (Jan. 22) a good omen His attribute is a gridiron with pointed nails (the latter. distinguishing him from St. Lawrence), and sometimes also the raven protecting his corpse.

(G. Krüger.)

Bibliography: 7Sllemont, Mémoires, v. 215-231, 673-87T: P. B. Gams, ICirchengeach%chte Spaniena, i. 378-382, Re gensburg, 1862; J. E. Stadler and J. N. Ginal, Heilinen lexikon, v. 705-708, Augsburg, 1882; P. Allard, La Per secution de D%odetien, i. 40, 237, 244, 249-250, Paris. 1890; H. Leclercq, L'Eapagne chrétienne, pp. 8285, Paris, 1908; KL, sii. 999-1001; DCB, iv. 1152.