Zeno of Verona

Zeno ( s) ( * in North Africa, † April 12 371 or 372 ) is a saint of the Catholic and the Orthodox Church and was bishop of Verona.

Life and work

Zenon was Mauritanian origin. Its name derives from the Greek god Zeus from, but they were such old names ( such as Origen ) under late antique Christians nothing special. Of his life before his election as bishop nothing definite is known. Reports in which he lived as a fisherman on the Adige, where it was found by messengers of the Roman emperor Gallienus to heal his daughter through prayers, are a later hagiographic invention - if only because Gallienus lived 100 years earlier. Secured seems only his origin and a trip to Palestine before his election as bishop.

On December 8, 362 Zenon is the successor to the Cricinus eighth bishop of Verona. Be praised by Christian authors his intrepid vigor against the resurgent paganism under Julian and his struggle against the followers of Arianism. He is considered a great preacher and scholar. Zeno seems to have had quite a good knowledge of the ancient philosophers, poets and rhetoricians. But his sermons and his charisma are, it is said, have converted many pagans and Jews to Christianity. One of the first he advocated the doctrine of the virginity of the Virgin Mary.

The accounts of his life are topically why almost anything reliable is known. He is said to have lived in poverty and piety, and he possessed, have forwarded to the poor or used for the mission. Even as a bishop he should have his living as a fisherman yet earned at the Adige. Modern research considers this information for later pious inventions.

Although he is often portrayed as a martyr, it is believed that he did not die as a martyr. His grave is (now) in the Episcopal Church in Verona. It was here that probably shortly after his death, the worship of one.

Aftermath

In Verona Zenon is dedicated to the San Zeno Maggiore Church. About Zeno's grave, a church was built soon after his death, which gained great fame and a certain legendary account of the Transfiguration here supposedly to ereignenden miracle. So is in a flood, according to Gregory the Great have not been in this church under water the entire metropolitan area.

Also a monastery was donated in honor of Zenon in Verona. In Rome there are as an extension to the Basilica of Santa Prassede a Zenokapelle in which a large part of his relics are kept.

Even outside Italy carry more churches and monasteries such as the monastery of San Zeno in Reichenhall Zeno's name.

Writings

As the author of Zeno was evidently very productive, his treatises 93 have survived until today. However, it is debatable whether all the writings attributed to him are actually from his hand.

Zenon as a saint

• Attributes: fishing rod, basket or book with two fish
• The presentation is mainly as a bishop in Pontifikalkleidung with book and staff.
• He is the patron of Verona and the Cathedral of Pistoia; he will be called when children go bad and learn to speak and floods, against wild water damage.
• His feast day (Orthodox and Catholic) is April 12 ( in Chur: September 2 ).

Worship in the German-speaking

One of the first admirers here belonged to the holy Korbinian Freising. In South Tyrol, he left him in maize ( today Zenoberg near Merano ) build a church. Since the 8th and early 9th century Zeno is the patron of churches, for example, in Isen, Radolfzell on Lake Constance, and Herrischried and also the monastery St. Zeno in Reichenhall. The original parish of Rosental in Carinthia in Kappel an der Drau is also the hl. Consecrated Zeno. 806 to the relics of St.. Zeno of Verona have come to Kappel.

The parish church of Hafnerbach is dedicated to St. Zeno, where his feast is celebrated festively on the 2nd Sunday after Easter.