MEMORIAL: JULY 20
A disciple of St. Peter, St. Apollinaris was born in the first century AD in Antioch. He became the first Bishop of Ravenna, Italy. There he preached the gospel ceaselessly and worked miracles. Amidst persecution, Apollinarus defended the faith which led to his being beaten and dragged out/exiled from Ravenna no less than four times in his approximately twenty-five years as bishop. On the final beating, Apollinaris died a martyr. He is the patron saint for gout, epilepsy, and venereal diseases.
