Sts. Felix, Fortunatus, & Achilleus
Feastday: April 23
Felix, a priest, and two deacons, Fortunatus and Achilleus, were
sent by St. Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyons, at the beginning of the
third century, to Valence in the district afterwards known as the
Dauphine' to evangelize its inhabitants. They all three suffered
martyrdom in the reign of Caracalla about the year 212. That is all
that is actually known about these saints, but legend has supplied
additional details. According to their reputed "acts", after they
had by their preaching and miracles, converted a great proportion
of the heathen people, they were arrested. From prison they were
liberated by angels, at whose bidding they cast down the idols in
the temples, destroying with hammers the images of Mercury and
Saturn and a valuable amber statue of Jupiter. For this they were
promptly seized: their legs were broken, they were tortured on
wheels and subjected by day and by night to acrid and suffocating
fumes. As they survived all these torments they were eventually
beheaded. An even more fantastic legend than that related, connects
St. Felix, St. Fortunatus and St. Achilleus with Valencia in Spain.
The remains there venerated are certainly those of other saints.
Their feast day is April 23.
