St. Valentine

THE STORY OF THE PRIEST CALLED VALENTINE

In the city of Rome in the years around 270BC there lived an Emperor named Claudius. Wars broke out in the Roman Empire. Claudius summoned the citizens forth to battle, but many of the Romans were unwilling to go. The married men did not want to leave their families. The Emperor ordered that no marriages should be celebrated. Now the good priest Valentine secretly united couples in marriage. Valentine was the friend of lovers in every district of Rome.
When the emperor knew what was happening, he was sent to prison, where he died. His friends buried him in the church of St. Praxedes. When you go to Rome you can see the place. It was the year 270BC, on the 14th of February.

VALENTINE THE BISHOP

Another story says that Valentine was a great Christian, at a time when Christians were arrested. When the Emperor knew Valentine was a Christian, he threw him in prison. There he cured the keeper's daughter of blindness. When the cruel emperor learned of this miracle he gave orders that Valentine should be beheaded. There is a belief that the morning of the execution, Valentine left a note to the jail keeper's daughter which was signed, "From your Valentine." People have been sending similar messages to their loved ones since then.