Biography
Son of Faustus, a non-Christian, and Flaminia, a Christian; his father was saved from a severe illness by the intercession of Saint> Gervasius, and Donatus grew up in the faith. When he was 17, he became a soldier, rose through the ranks, and in his mid-20âs he was a captain in the 12th imperial Roman legion. Around the year 166, his unit was fighting Germanic tribes along the Danube river. The Romans got surrounded and cut off from supplies, including water, for days. The pagan Romans pleaded with their gods for relief, but nothing happened. Donatus finally got all the Christian soldiers together (due to persecutions of Christians, they did not call attention to themselves) and prayed, and a storm blew in; the Romans captured all the water they needed, lightning struck the German camp, and the legion chased the tribes back across the river. However, being exposed as a Christian led to Donatus being executed. Martyr. Later legand says that in thanks for the life-saving rain, Donatus promised to lead a single life devoted to God. For his victory against the Germans, Donatus was promoted to colonel in the personal guard of Emperor Marcus Aurelius. To solidfy his devotion to the emperor by family ties, Donatus was ordered to marry the emperorâs grand-daughter Alexandria. He refused because of his vow, and when he explained why, he was identified as a Christian and executed. Born: c.140 of Rome, Italy Died: • c.180 • buried by his mother in the Saint Agnes catacomb outside Rome • relics re-discovered in 1646 by the Jesuit Balthasar Ballonus • relics given to the Jesuit College church in Bad Münstereifel, Germany in 1649 • during the ceremony to enshrine the relics, on 30 June 1652, a pouring rain ended as soon as the procession of the relics began • at the end of the Mass in which the relics were enshrined in the church of Saint Martin, lightning struck the church, lamps and candles fell, and the priestâs vestments were set on fire at the altar; the priest called out for Saint Donatus to intercede; the fire was immediately extinguished and the priest was unharmed • some relics in the church of Saint Michael in Weywertz, Belgium • some relics in the abbey church in Neumünster, Luxembourg • some relics in the church of Saint Anthony of Padua in Loosbroek, Netherlands • some relics in the church of Saint Anthony the Abbot and Saint Donatus in Reek, Netherlands • some relics in the church of Saint Anthony the Padua in Vragender, Netherlands • some relics in the church of Saint Severinus in Hapert, Netherlands