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Witnessing to Christ by the way of life, not by death.

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February 25 · Confessor

St. Cæsarius

St. Cæsarius

Witnessing to Christ by the way of life, not by death.

Traditional feast

February 25
1914 / pre-1969 calendar, per Baring-Gould (1897)

Current feast

Not verified yet

Represents

Confessor

Early life

Selected sentences from the original account, unaltered.

Thin entry · the 1897 book gives only 189 words. We have not filled the gap with invented detail.

S. Cæsarius was given by his parents an excellent education, and, being a man of great natural parts, he soon distinguished himself for his accomplishments in all the known sciences. Jovian, who succeeded Julian, also honoured him, and finding that, moved by the remonstrances of his father and brother, Cæsarius had thrown up his appointment at the court of the Apostate, he recalled him.

What they represent

How they teach us to live

Drawn from themes in the original account

Share your faith, in words and by example. Preaching and conversion are central here.

Learn from the kind of life it was. Witnessing to Christ by the way of life, not by death.

Read more

The full original · 189 words

Read Baring-Gould’s full account

Baring-Gould’s sources: Roman Martyrology. Greek Menæa on March 9th. Authority:—His life, written by his brother, S. Gregory Nazianzen.

S. Cæsarius was given by his parents an excellent education, and, being a man of great natural parts, he soon distinguished himself for his accomplishments in all the known sciences. He became one of the first physicians of his day, and was urged by the Emperor Constantius to reside in the imperial city, but declined to do so. Julian the Apostate [Roman emperor 361–363 who tried to restore paganism] nominated him his first physician, and loaded him with marks of favour, without, however, being able to shake his Christian constancy. Jovian, who succeeded Julian, also honoured him, and finding that, moved by the remonstrances of his father and brother, Cæsarius had thrown up his appointment at the court of the Apostate, he recalled him. Valens created him keeper of the privy purse, and treasurer of Bithynia. A narrow escape in an earthquake at Nicæa, in 368, when almost all the chief men of that city were killed, moved him to renounce the world. He died shortly after, and was buried with great solemnity, his parents assisting at the funeral with lighted tapers in their hands, and his brother, S. Gregory, Bishop of Nazianzus, preaching his funeral oration.

Feast days

Feast: February 25

Nine days · Free

Pray the novena
with us.

One short email a day for nine days. The day's prayer, a line from St. Cæsarius's story, and a nudge to keep going.

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St. Aldetrudis

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← All 1727 saints in the library
Sources & notes

Feast-day sources

Sources

Credits

From Sabine Baring-Gould, The Lives of the Saints, new edition in 16 vols. (London: John C. Nimmo, 1897), digitized text from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.

From Sabine Baring-Gould, The Lives of the Saints, new edition in 16 vols. (London: John C. Nimmo, 1897), digitized text from Project Gutenberg. Public domain in the United States. Reproduced unedited, except for short bracketed notes in grey that we added to explain names and terms (“S.” is the old abbreviation for Saint). Some history and judgments reflect 19th-century scholarship.