Expeditus

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Expeditus
Saint Expeditus with his typical iconographical attributes
Martyr
Born	unknown
Died	303, Melitene, Turkey
Venerated in	Roman Catholic Church
Feast	19 April
Attributes	Depicted as a Roman soldier, holding a palm leaf in his left hand, and raising a cross with the word "hodie" (today) on it. His right foot is stepping on a crow, which is speaking the word "cras" (tomorrow).
Patronage	Republic of Molossia, emergencies, expeditious solutions, against procrastination, merchants, navigators,[1] programmers, and hackers[2]

Information concerning Saint Expeditus can be found only in martyrologies, so precise details about his existence cannot be obtained.

From the Geronimian Martyrology: 18 April: "Romae Eleutheri episcopi et Anthiae matris eius et Parthenii, Caloceri, Fabii, Proculi, Apollonii, Fortunati, Crispini, EXPEDITI, Mappalici, Victorini, Gagi." 19 April: "In Arminia Militana civitate Hermogeni, Gagi, EXPEDITI, Aristonici, Rufi, Galatae una die coronatorum."

St. Expeditus is commemorated in the martyrology on April 18 and on April 19, but the first date seems to be a mistake (mistakes were very common in martyrologies)^{[citation needed]}. The only facts that seem to be certain concern the day (19 April) and the place of his death (Melitene - nowadays Malatya, Turkey); nothing can be said about the circumstances and the time of his martyrdom (someone states that he died under Diocletian, but this hypothesis is not demonstrated^{[citation needed]}).

There are many theories which try to deny the existence of St.Expeditus. According to Delehaye, the word Expeditus is a wrong reading of Elpidius ^[1]; someone has stated that Expeditus is only an adjective referred to a person and not a name of person; others have stated that this adjective was referred to St.Minas. All these theories are not proved^{[citation needed]}, especially the ones which try to identify St.Expeditus with another saint.

There are also many versions of another legend, according to which the name Expeditus is recent and derives from the writing "Spedito" on a box containing relics of an unknown saint.

The name Expeditus has certainly caused puns^{[citation needed]}, so he has become the saint of rapidity. At the beginning, he was invoked for urgent causes; afterwards, he has become the patron of dealers, sailors, students, examinees; he is also prayed for the success in lawsuits.

He is portrayed like a soldier (the Latin word "expeditus" was also the name of a category of soldiers) and, under his foot, has a crow with the writing "cras" ("tomorrow"). In Germanic countries, the saint indicates a clock, whereas in the rest of the world (especially in recent representations) he has a cross with the writing "hodie" ("today") in his hand.

The veneration of this saint, contrary to what is usually said, is not quite recent (the cult wasn't born in Germany and Sicily in the 17th century^{[citation needed]}): it was already developed in Turin in the Middle Ages. At the beginning of the 20th century, some bishops didn't succeed in abolishing the cult of St.Expeditus^{[citation needed]}.

Contents 1 Catholic veneration 1.1 Legends 1.2 Iconographical depiction 2 Réunion Island 3 Chile 4 Voodoo and Hoodoo 5 Gallery 6 Further reading 7 References 8 External links

[edit] Catholic veneration

[edit] Legends

It is widely questioned whether or not Expeditus actually existed. According to a legend, Saint Expeditus was a Roman centurion in Armenia who became a Christian and was beheaded during the Diocletian Persecution in 303. The most popular legend surrounding the saint says that the day when he decided to become a Christian, the Devil took the form of a crow (a snake in some versions of said legend) and told him to defer his conversion until the next day, but Expeditus stomped on the bird and killed it, declaring, "I'll be a Christian today!"

Many stories commonly circulated about the saint's origin say the cultus of Expeditus began when a package marked expedite arrived with unidentified relics or statues. The recipients assumed that the statuary or relics belonged to a Saint Expeditus, and so veneration began.

One of these stories takes place in 1781, when a case containing the relics of a saint who was formerly buried in the Denfert-Rochereau catacombs of Paris arrived at a convent in the city. The senders had written expedite on the case, to ensure fast delivery of the remains. The nuns assumed that "Expedite" was the name of a martyr, prayed for his intercession, and when their prayers were answered, veneration spread rapidly through France and on to other Catholic countries.^[2] Another version of the story takes place in New Orleans. The story says that the chapel of Our Lady of Guadalupe received a large shipment of assorted saint statues, one case of which did not have an identifying label. However, the crate did say Expedite (Expédit in French), so the residents assumed that must be the saint's name.^[2] In New Orleans, St. Expédit still figures prominently in the local creole folklore and is revered through amulets, candles and intercession prayers.

However, the legitimacy of these stories is easily disproved, since Expeditus appears in martyrologies in Italy before 1781.^[2] There is also a tradition in the past that Saint Expeditus be called upon to help settle overly long legal cases. His acta have not been reviewed and demoted by the Roman Catholic Church, and his feast of April 19 is not widely celebrated.

[edit] Iconographical depiction

Expeditus' typical depiction in artwork is as a young Roman centurion. The soldier is squashing a crow beneath his right foot and bearing a clock in early images. Later depictions have Expeditus holding a cross, inscribed with the Latin word hodie ("today"). A banderole with the word cras ("tomorrow" in Latin) emerges from the crow's mouth. Although the English language tends to mimic a crow's cry as "caw caw," Italian renders it as "cra cra."^[3], and the ancient Romans rendered it as "cras cras".

[edit] Réunion Island

Saint Expédit has a significant folk following on the French island of Réunion in the Indian Ocean. Stories about the origin of his veneration there follow the typical formula: a mysterious parcel marked with expedit arrived as an aid to instill pious virtues in the people.^[4] However, another version of the story maintains that Expédit acquired his name through his expeditious help in placing vengeful curses. Decapitated statues of the saint are often found, the defacement inflicted in anger for a request not carried out or in order to break an existing curse.^[4]

Road-side altars dedicated to Saint Expédit can be as small as a box containing a small statue of the saint, or as large as a hut, containing multiple statues, candles, and flowers. In all cases, these altars are painted a bright red.^[4] Also common are ex-votos thanking Saint Expédit for wishes granted and favors received.

In Réunion, the cult of Saint Expédit takes the form of a syncretic cult, mixing Roman Catholicism with other beliefs from Madagascar or India. Saint Expédit is a popular saint, revered by Reunionnais regardless of age or religion. It is difficult to say how many people visit the island's ubiquitous altars, since the worship of Saint Expédit is considered taboo - people do not generally visit the altars in the open.^{[citation needed]} Even so, the altars are widespread on the island and obviously well-tended.

[edit] Chile

Himnos mil al glorioso Expedito, que su sangre en la Armenia vertió, cuyo nombre en el cielo fue escrito, y de mártir el laurel alcanzó. —Himno a San Expedito[5]

A thousand hymns to glorious Expeditus, Who shed his blood in Armenia, Whose name was written in the sky, And gained the laurel of martyrdom. —Hymn to Saint Expeditus

Veneration in Chile is said to have begun when a devotee of Expeditus (or locally, San Expedito) brought an image of him to Viña del Mar, one of the most popular beach cities of Chile. She then petitioned some local priests for help to have a small church built for him. It is said that the idea was initially rejected by the local authorities, but the priests and the devout lady prayed to Expeditus, and in less than nine days they had the approval. Since then, the cult of San Expedito has become increasingly popular in Chile; from rich to poor, people pray novenas to him, and the shrine in the Reñaca sector of Viña is a rather popular pilgrimage site, especially during summer.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Voodoo and Hoodoo

In Haitian Vodou the image of St Expedite is used to represent Baron LaKwa a spirit associated with death, cemeteries, children and sex. In New Orleans Voodoo the saint often represents Baron Samedi, the spirit of death.

The saint is also often invoked in the African-American magical tradition of Hoodoo, where it is customary to make an offering to him of a glass of water, a bunch of flowers and a pound cake. He is believed to grant any request within his power on the provision that the petitioner recommends his invocation to others, thereby spreading his cult. In this tradition his image is used in gambling charms and rituals believed to bring down curses on others.

[edit] Gallery

Saint Expédit on Réunion Island: ex-votos

Roadside hut altar dedicated to Expeditus on Réunion Island

Statues inside the hut

[edit] Further reading

• A booklet that contains a prayer and novena litany to the saint: Nelson, Thomas A. (2006). Catholic Prayers. TAN Books and Publishers. ISBN 0-89555-595-6. 

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Expeditus

• San Expedito en Argentina (Spanish)
• Saint Expeditus (English)
• Sant'Espedito di Melitene (Italian)
• Wall Street Journal article on Expeditus (registration required) (English)
• Republic of Molossia: documents veneration to Expeditus and explains his possible erroneous origin (English)
• Saint Expédit (article by the University of Réunion, focusing on the worship on Réunion Island) (French)
• La Página de San Expedito (Spanish)
• San Expedito en Chile (Spanish)
• Saint Expédit in New Orleans