Today is Valentine’s Day. An informal occasion named after St. Valentine, who is known to many as the patron saint of lovers, marriages, and basically everyone who is romantic at heart.
But did you know he is also the patron saint of beekeepers? According to website Heifer International, St. Valentine earned that distinction because he was put in charge of “ensuring the sweetness of honey and the protection of beekeepers.”
St. Valentine, also known by his Latin name Valentinus, is recognized as the patron saint of people with epilepsy as well because he reportedly lived with that condition himself.
“In Italy, the connection is deemed to be so close that in 1988, Saint Valentine’s dual role as a patron of lovers and of epilepsy was depicted on a postage stamp,” according to an article posted by the Brain Society of Toronto.
Over centuries, however, the general public associated St. Valentine with the concept of courtly love. This is largely due to popular hagiographies that identified him as a priest, who married couples in secret and defended his faith against the Roman emperor Claudius Gothicus.
According to legends, Valentinus was imprisoned for officiating the weddings of soldiers, who were forbidden to marry because of the war. He was eventually executed for his actions and declared a martyr.