Presence of the Past

Priest, Martyr and Saint

Valentine: Priest, Martyr and Saint

Valentine, a Champion of Marriage

Valentine and the Healing Touch of Love

Valentine, a Witness to Love Conquering Death

Valentine and the Recovery of Nature

Pilgrimage to Saint Valentine

Ancient Echo in a Christian Feast

Biblical Echo in a Christian Feast

“from your Valentine”

On February 14, 270, Valentine, a priest in Rome, was cruelly executed during the persecution of Christians under Emperor Claudius II. Since earliest times his feast has been associated with the habit of girls and boys declaring their love or vowing to be each other's “steady partner” for the year. Some say this custom developed because the mating season of birds begins on this day. There is a medieval legend, however, that tells how the saint, shortly before his execution, wrote a kind note to his prison master's friendly daughter. He signed it “from your Valentine.”

Saint Valentine

19th century. Hungarian School. Painted glass. Private collection.