Saint Corona is one of the lesser-known Saints of Christianity and would have perhaps remained so, had it not been for the Covid-19 Pandemic, which brought the focus back again on this forgotten (for most of the world) Saint of Christianity.
As the human race is grappling against the severe magnitude of the onslaught of a new disease, some people place their hopes on the scientists for a breakthrough medicinal invention/solution for the disease, while others pray for divine intervention, with a heavy focus on the Saint Corona patron against epidemics to perform a miracle.
However, for many in the world, Saint Corona patron against epidemics remains an enigmatic figure, with many refusing to believe that a patron saint against epidemics, could have really existed in the past, with a name so similar to the devastating pandemic of Coronavirus infection, which has terrorized the whole world for such a long period of time.
However, sometimes a question cannot be just answered with a yes or no but has to be understood only by closely reviewing the history that gave birth to facts, that looks more like a legendary story than real history. However, Saint Corona’s biography remained relatively unknown, before the Covid-19 Pandemic; which is the reason that people in the 21st century are now so curious to know about facts that occurred so many centuries ago.
The truth can only be known once we evaluate the facts that supposedly occurred at a time when Christianity was still in its infancy & to be a Christian was a risky proposition. Saint Corona’s biography deals with the facts that supposedly occurred approximately 1850 years before the Covid-19 Pandemic, which devastated the world.
Saint Corona catholic role model for many has a story that is half history and half legend. Saint Corona’s story starts somewhere in the 2nd half of the second century A.D. when Christianity was not still a mainstream religion, and Christians faced very frequent persecution under the Roman empire, just for having a faith which was not recognized by the mainstream religious leaders.
The Roman empire under Marcus Aurelius was relatively stable & the Emperor himself is considered by many as the final emperor of Pax Romana – which means “Roman Peace” and is highlighted for the relative peace & prosperity of the times. However, peace is never an absolute phenomenon &the followers of newly developing faith – Christianity, were in no way safe to practice their chosen religion.
In such times, among the many stories that left its imprint in the history of the period, a story that stands out is the tale about Saint-Victor & Saint Corona. The beginning of the events occurred in Syria in 170 A.D. with Saint-Victor, who at the time was a Roman soldier (of Italian ancestry) but practiced Christianity in secret. However, one day he was caught by other Romans and brought for justice for following the doctrines that were strictly abhorred by the Roman Empire.
Roman justice of the time showed no mercy for the culprits, especially for those who followed Christianity. Brought before a judge named Sebastian, who despised Christians, Victor’s fate was sealed. Sebastian decided to ensure that such defiance should get the harshest of punishments. Not would Victor be killed but his end should serve as an example for all those who dared to go against the Empire.
Sebastian decided to punish Victor in a public place, so he serves as a lesson for all others to see. Victor was bound to a pillar and whipped till his skin started hanging loose from his body. Still not satisfied Sebastian ordered that Victor should be blinded, and the order was followed swiftly. Despite all these tortures, Victor refused to give up his religion and held on steadfast to his faith.
It was at this point, that Saint Corona (Corona at that time) who was present in the scene and was looking at the terrible events unfolding in front of her eyes was moved with compassion for a fellow innocent Christian, who was being subjected to tremendous brutality by the heartless soldiers. Corona at the time was just a young 16-year-old girl, and wife of a colleague of Victor, who also followed Christianity, keeping her faith secret from all around her.
But now Corona was greatly moved by the torture being inflicted on Victor. She rushed to his side, to comfort and pray for him, and at the same time, she declared in front of everybody present at the scene, that she too was a proud Christian. Needless to say, that defiance like this could not go unnoticed and Corona was soon apprehended and brought in front of the notorious Judge Sebastian, who was furious at the turn of events.
Sebastian would not consider Corona’s young age or the fact that she was a female, to let her go free. The only thing that mattered to him was that she was a Christian who had defied him and hence deserved the strictest of punishments. However, the punishments that were decided for her would cause a shiver to run down the spine of even the bravest of people.
As the story goes Sebastian ordered tops of 2 palm trees, situated adjacent to each other to be bent down to the ground forcefully and steadied in that position by tying them by ropes. Next, he ordered his soldiers to tie the two arms of Corona to the bent top of trees on either side by ropes. Later Sebastian ordered his soldiers to cut the ropes, which were holding the bent top of the tree to the ground.
As the two bent tree tops forcefully went back to their upright position, it moved with a great force away from each other. This abrupt force was strong enough to rip apart Corona’s body resulting in a very painful death. Soon Victor, who was still alive through all his pain and agony was also beheaded on Sebastian’s order.
In a basilica (Santuario dei Santi Vittore e Corona) in Anzu – a city in Italy, the relics of Saint Corona and St. Victor were brought in the 9th century where they remain till this day, inspiring the faithful.
Saint Corona’s feast day is held on May 14 (along with St. Victor). Saint Corona is especially revered in Austria and parts of Bavaria. Here it would be important to mention that Saint Corona is conventionally revered as the patron saint of gambling and treasure hunters but after the outbreak of the Covid-19 Pandemic, she has been in news as the patron saint of Pandemics.
St Victor and St. Corona, were recognized as Saints, much before the Church canonization process became standardized. This gave them a unique position in the Catholic Church as Pre – Congregation saints. It would be important to mention here that the first saint to be canonized was Bishop Ulrich of Augsburg (who had died in 973 A.D.), who was canonized in the Lateran Council of 993 A.D. by Pope John XV.
Some sources say that as Corona and Victor died, two crowns descended from heaven for the two pure souls, as Saint Corona the martyr, and Victor took their place among many saints of Christianity. However, more pragmatic scholars believe that the name Corona – Latin word for Crown, refers to the martyr’s crown that Saint Corona the martyr received after her ascension to heaven.
The Covid-19 Pandemic, which wreaked havoc all over the world also shares the “Corona” term in the name of the virus. This is because these viruses when viewed under the electron microscope, have a characteristic crown-shaped projection surrounding the virus particle.
At the height of the Covid-19 Pandemic, the phenomenon of worshiping Saint Corona as a Patron Saint of Epidemics started. Was this just because of the similarity in a name? The answer was not so simple. On closer inspection, it seems that a lot of people believe that Saint Corona is indeed the patron saint against epidemics (although not all agree). Hence it was but a natural outcome, that people wishing for a divine intervention would naturally turn to her.
When it comes to a historical event that goes back almost 1800 years, there is bound to be some difference in opinion and observations. These observations pertain to different aspects of the story of Saint Corona. Although the vast majority of the sources believe that the events occurred in Syria, but some others believe that all the events occurred in Antioch.
The relics kept in the basilica of Anzu, Italy were examined in 1943 and again in 1981. The examinations proved that the bones present, are from both a male and female. Examinations undertaken in 1981 showed that cedar pollen was present along with the relics. On further examination by archaeologists of these cedar pollens, it was found that these must have originated in either Syria or Cyprus. These pieces of evidence lend support to the popular history of Saint Corona believed by the people.
Again, the consensus is that the events occurred in/around 170 AD but some believe it occurred on a different date. The Greek sources describe the events occurring during the reign of Emperor Antoninus (138 to 161 AD) while Coptic sources mention the events to have occurred during the reign of Diocletian (284 -305 AD).
The relationship between Victor and Corona, also varies depending on the sources, with some source claiming that Corona was not the wife of a colleague of Victor, but was Victor’s wife; and the couple was killed together because of their faith.
As previously mentioned, that Saint Corona is classically considered as the patron saint of gamblers and treasure hunters, but the emergence of Saint Corona as a patron saint for epidemics, is a recent phenomenon that has been seen only after the onset of Covid-19 Pandemic in Europe. All sources describing Saint Corona before the said epidemic describes her as the patron saint of gamblers and treasure hunters only.
As Coronavirus infection keeps on increasing in severity during 2020, health measures taken by authorities are badly overwhelmed. Many people across the world including those in Europe have taken sanctuary in religion. In such times a lesser-known saint, surprisingly known as Saint Corona, has found prominence as a patron saint for Pandemics, to whom many people pray for safety from pandemic raging all around.
Although some Catholic institutions confidently declared that praying to Saint Corona patron against epidemics was the right decision which could help provide a solution in a difficult situation. However, at the same time, many other Catholic institutions declared that Saint Corona’s Catholic history shows that she is only the patron saint for gamblers and treasure hunters and the distinction of being the patron saint of pandemics goes to Edmund the Martyr or St. Edmund (and St. Roch according to others).
Although the Patron Saint for a particular subject may indeed vary from one country to another, however, the lack of any mention of Saint Corona as the patron saint of Pandemic before the onset of Covid-19 Pandemic, makes it quite unlikely. However, if many people praying to Saint Corona experience a miracle in a difficult situation, as the Covid-19 Pandemic has proved itself to be, then she would indeed become the Saint that people believe her to be & she may go down in history as Saint Corona the patron against epidemics.
(Note – By the time when this article was published ie in June 2020 (Updated in September 2021), the end of Coronavirus Pandemic is still not visible and we need all the strength that we can gather to survive. And in such a situation any source of hope – even if it is just a prayer, is always welcome.)