Monday, September 26, 2022

Roman Martyrs in Kentucky? ~ Saints Magnus and Bonosa

A thundering roar echoed through the massive Colosseum, a thousand voices cheering as they caught sight of three colorful figures emerging from a lower door. Two were dressed in imperial red, capes waving in the summer wind, their strong hands wrapped around the arms of a young woman. The girl, their prisoner, walked between them, a fearlessness in her step. 

Magnus leaned forward in his seat and settled his chin on one fist as the girl was brought towards the center of the arena. As a high-ranking centurion with front row seats to all the Colosseum's spectacles, he had seen many prisoners face their deaths, but what always captivated his interest was the unfathomable courage of the Christians. 

He could already tell based on her peaceful expression and the way she carried herself that she was a Christian. She, like her brothers and sisters, appeared unafraid of the grisly death which awaited her, a death which would send a grown man bolting away, crying out in terror. An almost halo-like glow had settled around her golden hair, and a pleasant smile graced her young face. Fearless


Magnus hardly heard the Roman words cutting through the silence, numbering the girl's charges - Bonosa, Christian. The sentence for such a faith was death, and everyone knew it. But while the crowd cheered lustily for her blood to be spilled, Magnus remained silent. He focused his attention on the gentle words escaping Bonosa's lips - something about Christ, about hope, about being unafraid to carry her cross. 

Her eyes, shining with a holy light, met his, only for the briefest of moments. And you, Magnus, they seemed to ask. Are you brave enough to carry the cross?

She flashed her Christ-filled eyes away from him, turning her entire body towards the executioners who had brought her in. Drawing her right hand to her forehead, she crossed herself, awaiting the beasts. 

It was as though he had been called by G'D Himself. Rising from his seat, a firm resolution in his heart, his hand wrapping around the hilt of the sword at his side, he marched through the seats. Within minutes, he was standing beside Bonosa, calling out his belief in the G'D of the Christians. Within minutes, the beasts were flying at him too...


Saints Magnus and Bonosa - a Roman centurion and young virgin - were killed in the Colosseum as Christians around the year 207 AD. Not much is known about them, but holy legends have circulated about them since their deaths. The story goes that Magnus, upon witnessing the courage of a 24-year-old Bonosa, was moved into professing the Christian faith. Another story explains that Magnus rushed into the arena to help Bonosa as he was so moved by her testimony of faith. Regardless, they are revered in the Catholic Church as saints. 

And yes, the bones of these ancient Roman martyrs are interred in Louisville, Kentucky, USA. 

Around 1700, their relics were recovered and put under the care of Italian Cistercian nuns. Two hundred years later, in 1901, the nuns were forced out of their convent by the Italian government, and they fled with the holy relics. In 1902, Saint Martin of Tours Church in Louisville, Kentucky sent a petition to Rome for relics to keep in the sanctuary, and, as it was less than a year after the incident with the Cistercians, the bodies of the saints were sent to the United States, where they continue to rest in the presence of the tabernacle. 

In 2012, testing was done on the bones of the martyrs. Though Magnus' remains were much less intact, it was discovered that he was about 45-years-old at the time of his martyrdom, of Caucasian, Mediterranean, or Egyptian descent. Bonosa's skeleton, nearly 100% complete, offered much more substantial pieces of information. She was a five-foot-something, right-handed Caucasian whose knees showed signs of constant kneeling, perhaps indicative of her preferred prayer style, or her job. 

What a wonderful thing it is to be able to look upon the physical bodies of our sisters and brothers in Christ and know their stories! We must always seek to imitate the courageous hearts of the martyrs, following their examples daily. We all face lions in our lives, and we must all turn to Christ with them, surrendering ourselves to Him and allowing Him to work through us. May we always seek to win hearts for Christ! Amen!

Saints Magnus and Bonosa, pray for us!

No comments:

Post a Comment