Saint Hermengild
Saint Hermengild (born c. 564 AD in Toledo, Spain; died April 13, 585 AD in Tarragona, Spain) was a Visigothic prince and martyr, son of the Arian King Leovigild of Spain. He converted from Arianism to Catholic Christianity under the influence of his wife Ingundis (a Frankish Catholic princess) and the preaching of Saint Leander of Seville. He was executed by his own father after refusing to receive Arian communion from an Arian bishop. He is the first canonized martyr of Spain who died as a Catholic in conflict with his Arian family. His feast day is April 13.
Stored in Cargo: Saint Hermengild
| Saint Hermengild | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | April 13 |
| Profession | Prince; martyr; convert from Arianism |
| Rel. Affiliation | Catholic Church; converted from Arian Christianity; martyred for refusing Arian communion; his death preceded the conversion of the Visigothic kingdom to Catholicism |
| Patronage | Spain; Seville; converts from heresy; those who suffer for their faith at the hands of their family; princes; young men who refuse to compromise their faith |
| Attributes | Palm (martyr); royal crown or armor; axe or sword (beheading); Arian bishop refused (the bishop offering Arian communion); chain (his imprisonment) |
| Birthplace | Toledo, Hispania Visigothica (modern Spain) |
| Death Place | Tarragona, Hispania Tarraconensis (modern Spain) |
| Cause of Death | Martyrdom; executed by order of his father King Leovigild for refusing to receive Arian communion; beheaded at Tarragona, April 13, 585 AD |
| Primary Shrine | Basilica of Saint Hermengild, Seville, Spain — a church in Seville commemorates him; also the Convent of the Trinitarians, Seville, where the Iglesia de San Hermenegildo stands; and churches in Tarragona associated with his martyrdom |
| Liturgical Class | Optional Memorial (Roman Calendar, April 13) |
| Historic Class | Feast (April 13) |
Biography
Hermengild was born around 564, the eldest son of King Leovigild of Hispania and his first wife. Leovigild was a powerful Visigothic king who was determined to consolidate his kingdom under Arianism — the form of Christianity that denied the full co-equal divinity of Christ with the Father, which the Visigoths had held since their conversion in the 4th century.
Around 579 AD, Hermengild married Ingundis, a Frankish princess and ardent Catholic. Her refusal to accept Arian baptism (demanded by Leovigild's Arian wife Goiswintha) and her steadfast Catholic faith influenced Hermengild deeply. He was also profoundly shaped by contact with Saint Leander of Seville, the great Catholic bishop of Seville, who instructed him in Catholic theology. Hermengild converted to Catholicism and was baptized, taking the name John.
He then raised a rebellion against his father, presumably hoping to force the Catholicization of the kingdom. He made alliances with the Byzantine Empire (still holding some territory in southern Spain) and possibly with the Franks. The revolt failed. His father's forces captured him after a prolonged conflict, and he was imprisoned, first in Seville and then in Tarragona.
On Easter Sunday 585 AD, his father sent an Arian bishop to offer him Arian communion as the price of reconciliation and restoration. Hermengild refused. He was executed — beheaded — on April 13, 585 AD.
Pope Gregory the Great wrote about him in his Dialogues (III.31), recording miraculous signs at his death and presenting him as a martyr. His brother Recared I converted the entire Visigothic kingdom to Catholicism four years later (589 AD), at the Third Council of Toledo. Many saw Hermengild's death as the spiritual seed of this national conversion. Pope Sixtus V canonized him in 1585.
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: Toledo, Hispania Visigothica (modern Spain)
Death location: Tarragona, Hispania Tarraconensis (modern Spain)
Notable location:
Notable location: After being captured by his father's forces, he was imprisoned here; he was offered freedom and restoration to favor if he would receive Arian communion from an Arian bishop on Easter Sunday; he refused; he was beheaded on April 13, 585 AD (Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain)
Notable location: Capital of the Visigothic kingdom; his father Leovigild's seat of power; the city where the tension between Arianism and Catholicism played out; Toledo later became the center of Catholic Visigothic Spain after Leovigild's son and successor Recared converted to Catholicism in 589 AD (Toledo, Castilla-La Mancha, Spain)
Notable location:
Notable location:
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Parishes
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Shrines
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Known shrines
- Iglesia de San Hermenegildo, Seville, Spain — church dedicated to him in the city of his conversion.
- Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain — site of his martyrdom; churches in Tarragona associated with his memory.
Feast day
April 13
Veneration
Saint Hermengild is venerated in the Roman Catholic Church on April 13 as an Optional Memorial. He is the first canonized martyr of Spain who died as a Catholic in the Arian conflict.
Prayers
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