Saint Hieromartyr Valentine, Bishop
of Interamna.

Little is recorded of Saint Valentine's early life. He served as a bishop in the city of Interamna in Umbria (Italy), where he became known as a pastor devoted to the spiritual welfare of his flock and to the relief of their bodily afflictions.

As bishop of Interamna, Saint Valentine received from God the gift of healing various maladies. When three pagan youths from Athens—Proculus, Ephebus, and Apollonius—came to Rome to study under the philosopher Craton, the bishop's miraculous healing of Craton's severely ill son, Cherimon, led to the conversion of the entire household and the three students themselves, who became devoted disciples of Saint Valentine.

As his disciples preached the faith and converted many idolaters, the authorities arrested the youths and threw them into prison, demonstrating the price of evangelical zeal in the persecuting empire.

When the prefect and city leaders learned of Valentine's evangelistic success, they demanded that he renounce Christ and worship idols. After much torture, he was imprisoned; learning of this, the prefect gave orders to take Valentine out of the prison and behead him.

His devoted students Proculus, Ephebus, and Apollonius retrieved his body and carried it to Interamnum, where they buried it. Both believers and pagans were drawn to them, and they converted many to the true Faith. The executioners beheaded the three youths by night, fearing a popular uprising. Abundius, learning that his friends had been executed, buried their bodies near the grave of holy Bishop Valentine.

The relics of the bishop are in Terni. His relics are at the Basilica of Saint Valentine in Terni (Basilica di San Valentino). The relics of San Valentino were translated to their current position under the high altar in 1696. The crypt preserves the cranium of St Valentine and the presumed relics of SS Proculus, Ephebus and Apollonius, who were executed for having recovered St Valentine's body after his execution in Rome.

Many parts of the Eastern Orthodox Church celebrate Saint Valentine's Day on July 6 in honor of Roman presbyter Saint Valentine, and on July 30 in honor of Hieromartyr Valentine, the Bishop of Interamna (modern Terni). Among all the churches only the Orthodox Church venerates the memory of both Valentines. Saint Valentine is venerated as a patron of his native city of Terni and as an intercessor for the faithful.

The Hieromartyr Bishop Valentine and his three disciples, Proculus, Ephebus and Apollonius lived during the third century. Saint Valentine was a bishop in Umbria (Italy), in the city of Interamna. He received from God the gift of healing various maladies.

Three pagan youths, Proculus, Ephebus and Apollonius, came from Athens to Rome to study and found a tutor named Craton. When Craton's son Cherimon fell gravely ill with a contorted spine, Craton asked Bishop Valentine to help his sick son. The holy bishop prayed fervently all night, and when day came, the boy had been healed. They believed in Christ and were baptized with all their household. Craton's students, Proculus, Ephebus and Apollonius were also baptized and became devoted disciples of Saint Valentine.

The wrath of the prefect and other city leaders fell upon Bishop Valentine, who demanded that he renounce Christ and worship the idols. After much torture they threw him into prison, where his followers visited him. Learning of this, the prefect gave orders to take Valentine out of the prison and behead him.

Saint Valentine's students Proculus, Ephebus, and Apollonius took the body of their teacher and carried it to the city of Interamnum, where they buried it. Both believers and pagans were drawn to them, and they converted many idolaters to the true Faith. When the authorities heard about this, they arrested the youths and threw them in prison. Fearing that people might break the sufferers out of prison, the executioners beheaded them by night.