Saint Valentine
Feast day: February 14
Saint Valentine, a Roman priest martyred in the 3rd century, a witness of faithful love (14/02)
Who is he?
Saint Valentine is a martyr of the early Church, remembered on 14 February in the Church’s official list of saints. According to ancient sources, he was a priest in Rome. Today, many people know 14 February as Valentine’s Day, but few know that he was a witness to Jesus.
Life story
We know very little about his life. According to ancient sources, he lived in Rome around the third century, when Christians were still being persecuted. He was martyred and buried beside the Via Flaminia, north of Rome. The faithful soon built a church over his tomb to honor him. There is also a tradition about a Saint Valentine who was bishop of Terni (Italy); they may be the same person.
Later on, more stories were added: that he secretly married young couples, or that he wrote a letter to a girl before he died. These are legends, with no historical evidence. It was only in the Middle Ages that people began to link 14 February with romantic love, and in many places he is honored as the patron saint of people in love.
Pictures and statues usually show him in a priest’s red vestment, holding a palm branch and a sword, the signs of a martyr.
Why is he a saint?
Saint Valentine is a saint because he loved Jesus more than his own life. When he had to choose between staying safe and being faithful to the Lord, he chose the Lord. Saint John writes: “Beloved, let us love one another; for love is of God” (1 Jn 4:7).
A lesson for you
- True love is not just flowers and cards; it is being faithful, showing respect and being ready to sacrifice for others.
- Show love to your family by what you do: help your parents, give way to your brothers and sisters.
- Stay faithful to God, even when your friends choose something else.
Identifying marks
- A martyr’s palm branch: he died for the faith and shares in the victory with God.
- A sword with its point in the ground: according to tradition, he was beheaded because he refused to deny the Lord.
- A red vestment with a cross: he was a priest; red is the color of the martyrs.
- A Roman road lined with cypress trees (the background on this card): he was buried beside the Via Flaminia, outside Rome.
The text on this page is the saint card in the Catholic Information app, word for word.
Collect this card and read more about the saints in the app