St.Babylas

 Blessed Dia de los Muertos!

For Day 2 of Saint-vember, we take the letter 'B' and learn about St. Babylas. Babylas was the twelfth Bishop of Antioch. The story is told that he once refused a visiting emperor admission to the church on account of his sinful ways. The Bishop told the emperor to take his place among the penitents. (No political comments, please.)  During the Decian persecution in the year 250, Babylas made an unwavering confession of faith and was thrown into prison. He is venerated as a martyr because he died in prison 3 years later. 

St. Babylas died in 253. He has the distinction of being the first Saint recorded to have had his remains moved (or "translated") for religious purposes. This practice was extremely common in later centuries. In the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Eastern Catholic Churches of the Byantine Rite, his feast day is celebrated on September 4. In the Roman Rite, his feast day is January 24.