A martyr remembered

The 1,750th anniversary since the martyrdom of St Lawrence continued was marked in recent days with two events planned by the Organising Committee for Special Feasts.

Last Thursday, the public was invited to St Lawrence Church in Vittoriosa to take part in talks about the saint, his link with the city and his mention in art and literature.

Yesterday morning, a more academic event was held at Fort St Angelo in Vittoriosa. Rhis symposium - entitled 'St Lawrence: Archaeology, Art and History' - was open to guests with an interest in the subject.

St Lawrence, patron saint of libraries and librarian, was martyred in Rome. As librarian and archivist, the saint was thought to have a list of all the members of the early church and the locations of all the mythical hidden hoards of gold belonging to the Vatican.

He was captured by the soldiers of the Emperor Valerian in August 258 and ordered to produce all the wealth of the church within two days. He gathered all the diseased, orphaned or crippled Christians on the day and presented them to the emperor as the treasures of the church. According to tradition, for his presumed impudence, he paid with his life.

The saint, whose death is being marked by the Vatican, is also remembered in Malta through the different activities.

The full list of events can be viewed on www.stlawrencebirgu.com.