Saint Severus of Barcelona

Severus of Barcelona (Catalan: Sant Sever; Spanish: San Severo) is venerated as a saint by the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches. His legend states that he was a bishop of Barcelona and was martyred during the persecution of Christians by Diocletian in AD 304. Details concerning his life and death are uncertain and of questionable historicity. The only documented Severus of Barcelona was known as Severus II of Barcelona and lived in the 7th century. He was represented by a priest at the Fourth Council of Toledo in 633, but died shortly thereafter. This Severus is not known to have suffered a violent death. The 3rd-4th-century Severus is, in any case, a traditional or legendary figure in Catalonia and one of the "lesser patron saints" of the Cathedral of Barcelona. For centuries his saint day was a festivity in Catalonia. According to his legend, he was born in Barcelona to a noble family and received a good education. In a hymn associated with his office, it is stated explicitly that he was a citizen of Barcelona. A variant of the legend status that he was a humble weaver upon whose head a dove landed. The people of the city saw this as a sign and elected him bishop. He was chosen bishop of Barcelona around 290. During the persecution of Diocletian, Severus fled to Castrum Octavianum (Sant Cugat del Vallès). As he crossed the Collserola Mountains, he encountered a fellow Christian, named Emeterius (Catalan: Sant Medir, Medí, Spanish: San Medir, Medín), sowing broad beans in the field. Severus instructed the man that if the soldiers sent to kill him asked the farmer where he had gone, to tell them that he had passed this way. A miracle made the beans he was cultivating sprout immediately after Severus left. When the soldiers came across Emeterius and asked him if he had seen the bishop, Emeterius replied that he had and it was when he was sowing the fields.