⛪ Saint Calimerius - Bishop of Milan

✝️ Saint Calimerius ✝️

Bishop of Milan – Intercessor Against Drought

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📅 Episcopal Term: ~270 – 280

⛪ Church: Catholic Church

🕊️ Predecessor: Castritian
🕊️ Successor: Monas

⚰️ Died: 280

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🎉 Feast Day: July 31

🙏 Venerated in: Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church

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🌦️ Patronage: Invoked against drought

⛪ Shrine: Basilica of Saint Calimerius, Milan

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“Holy Calimerius, shepherd of Milan, pray for us in times of need.”

 

Saint Calimerius was an early bishop of Milan, with his episcopate likely spanning from 270 to 280 AD. Little is known with certainty about his life, except that his relics were preserved in the Basilica of Saint Calimerius in Milan after his death. Historical evidence suggests he lived in the third century, rather than the second century as some traditions claim, and he was not a direct disciple of Pope Telesphorus.

Legends

According to one legend, Calimerius was born into a noble Roman family and served as a military officer before converting to Christianity under the influence of Saints Faustinus and Jovita. Another account claims he was born in Greece, educated in Rome, and ordained as a priest by Bishop Castricianus of Milan, whom he later succeeded as bishop. Some sources, including the eleventh-century Datiana Historia, suggest he was a disciple of Pope Telesphorus, though this is historically questionable.

As bishop, Calimerius is said to have preached extensively in the Milan region. During the persecutions of Christians, possibly under Emperor Commodus or Hadrian, he was martyred by being thrown headfirst into a well.

Calimerius and the Well

In the eighth century, Bishop Tommaso Grassi of Milan exhumed Calimerius' relics, which were found submerged in water, possibly due to underground channels in the city. This discovery gave rise to the legend that Calimerius was martyred by being cast into a well as punishment for baptizing numerous pagans. The well associated with his death became a site of veneration, with its water considered miraculous. On his feast day, July 31, the sick would drink from the well, and during droughts, priests would sprinkle its water over fields to pray for rain.

Historical records, including a marble plaque in Milan Cathedral, claim Calimerius' episcopate lasted from 139 to 192 AD. However, these dates may have been falsified in the eleventh century to enhance the prestige of the Milan diocese by suggesting an earlier founding, even tracing its origins to Saint Barnabas of the Apostolic Age. Such claims likely aimed to assert Milan's independence from Rome.

Veneration

Saint Ennodius records that a basilica dedicated to Calimerius was built in Milan in the fifth century to house his relics. Basilicas in his honor also exist in Pasturo and at the Santuario della Madonna di San Calimero in Bolladello di Cairate. His feast day, July 31, is celebrated in both the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches.

References

1. Datiana Historia, anonymous, 11th century.
2. Historical records of the Milan diocese.
3. Basilica Fausta (Church of Saints Vitalis and Agricola).
4. Legends of Saints Faustinus and Jovita.
5. Milan Cathedral historical plaque.
6. Delehaye, Hippolyte. The Legends of the Saints.

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