The Feast of St. Valentine is celebrated on February 14th, Valentine’s Day. He is the patron saint of love, beekeepers, epilepsy, and travel.
In the 3rd century, Emperor Claudius III prohibited marriage for young men; he believed it made better soldiers. Marriage was punishable by execution. Soon after, a Roman priest named Valentine viewed this as unjust and secretly married couples away from public view.
After a few ceremonies, word spread that Valentine was defying Claudius’ orders. On February 14th, amid a ceremony, the emperor’s guards came to arrest him. Valentine protested, saying, “These are Christian weddings, not real Roman weddings. People leave here and go to the temple of Juno to have a legal wedding. Surely it is only the real weddings that are banned.” That morning, the emperor banned Christian wedding ceremonies along with Roman weddings. Claudius sentenced Valentine to a three-part execution: beating, stoning, and beheading.
In prison, he met a judge named Asterius. The judge requested that Valentine heal his blind daughter. After praying, her sight was miraculously restored. This led to the baptism of the judge’s entire family.
On the day of his execution, Valentine wrote a note to the judge’s daughter: “From your Valentine.” Valentine’s Day is celebrated to remember St. Valentine, his actions, and his faith in God.