Saint Laurence Principal Deacon of Rome under Pope Sixtus II AD c225 – 258

The ancient parish church of Blackmore, built some 900 years ago,
was dedicated to St. Laurence and formed the heart of a small
Augustinian Priory founded in about 1160 by Richard Bishop of
London.
St. Laurence is thought to have been born of Christian parents in
Huesca, a town in the region of Aragon that was once part of the
Roman province that we now know as Spain. His name is derived
from the Latin: Laurentius, literally "laurelled".
As a youth he proved an outstanding student and was sent to
Zaragoza to complete his studies. It was here that he first
encountered the future Pope Sixtus II. He was a famous teacher of
Greek origin, in what was then one of the most renowned centres of
learning in the Roman Empire. Over time, a strong bond of master
and disciple developed between the two men and in 257 they
travelled together to Rome, where Christians were in serious trouble.
At this time, Rome and its Empire were pagan. Christianity was not
adopted as the state religion until 313, when The Emperor
Constantine was converted. In the hundred years or so before this
the Empire was under almost constant barbarian attack and suffered
economic collapse, political chaos and military revolt which nearly
lead to its destruction. It is fair to say that Christians, at this time,
were not very popular. As a matter of practice, they were
contemptuous of the pagan gods and detached themselves from
society; for instance, by refusing to serve in the Roman Legions.
Against this background, in 257 the Emperor Valerian began an
organised and vigorous persecution of Christians. This he perceived
as being good for his popularity with the gods, the people and, as all

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Christian property was to be confiscated, good for his treasury.
Furthermore, all meetings of Christians were forbidden, with the
universal penalty for any transgression being death.
Into this maelstrom stepped Sixtus and Laurence. Within the year
following their arrival, the then Pope, Stephen II, had been beheaded
and shortly after, Sixtus was elected Pope on 31st August 257. One
of his first acts was to ordain Laurence as a Deacon and though he
was still in his early thirties, made him principal of the seven
Christian Deacons of the City of Rome. This was a position of great
trust, with sole responsibility for the wealth and treasures of the
Church and distribution of alms among the poor.
Laurence was not to see the year out, for on the 6th August 258
Valerian’s men caught up with Sixtus and summarily beheaded him
together with four Deacons. Laurence was taken into custody
together with the remaining Deacons and was offered freedom in
return for the surrender of the Church’s wealth. In reply, Laurence
asked for time; three days to assemble the treasure which he would
present on the fourth. On the acceptance of this proposal he set to
and instead of gathering in the Church’s property, he distributed it to
the poor and needy of Rome. So it was that on the fourth day, the
10th August 258, instead of treasure, Laurence presented the true
wealth of the Church, its people.
Enraged by this affront, Valerian’s Prefect there and then ordered
Laurence to be tortured and then chained to a gridiron over a low fire
and slowly roasted to death. It is recorded that during his suffering
over the fire, he invited his torturers to turn him over, as one side was
now done. Surely, one of the blackest jokes in history! Throughout
the hours of his suffering, he is reported to have prayed for the
conversion of Rome to Christianity until, eventually, he died. The
spectacle of his faith and courage made a great impression on the
people of Rome and as a result many were converted. Also, as the
details of his death spread, it greatly improved the image of
Christianity throughout the pagan population of the Empire.
Because of the manner of his death, the symbol of St. Laurence is a
gridiron and his remains are buried in The Basilica of Saint Laurence
outside the Walls in Rome.
He is the patron saint of innumerable churches, cities and countries
throughout the world and of the poor together with archivists,
bankers, comedians, cooks, librarians, tanners and many more.
John Riley
Chairman
Friends of St Laurence Church, Blackmore
(Registered Charity No. 1113888)