Venustus

Who they were

In Africa, Saint Mappalicus, martyr, who during the persecution of the emperor Decius, moved by family affection, had asked that his mother and his sister, who had denied the faith under torture, be left in peace, and for this, dragged before the tribunal, it was he who won the crown of martyrdom; with him is joined the memory of many other holy martyrs who bore witness to their faith in Christ: Bassus in a stone quarry, Fortunio in prison, Paul before the tribunal, Fortunata, Victorinus, Victor, Eremius, Credula, Hereda, Donatus, Firmus, Venustus, Fructus, Julia, Martial and Ariston, all of whom died of hunger in prison.

Among those named is Saint Venustus, who died of hunger in prison.

The miracles

There was never a formal cause: he has been honoured as a saint since before the Church's formal processes began.

Why that counted as sanctity

The Roman Martyrology remembers him on 19 April among the African martyrs joined to Saint Mappalicus, as one of those who died of hunger in prison.