Expeditus

According to legend, Expeditus was a Roman commander in Armenia who became a Christian and was beheaded because of it by Eastern Roman Emperor Diocletian in 303 A.D. Saint Expeditus c. ... Saint Expeditus c. ... This is a list of Byzantine Emperors. ... Emperor Diocletian Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus (245?–312?), born Diocles, was Roman Emperor as Diocletian from November 20, 284 to May 1, 305. ... Events Diocletian launched the last major persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire; Hierocles was said to have been the instigator of the fierce persecution of the Christians under February 24 - Galerius, Roman Emperor, publishes his edict that begins the persecution of Christians in his portion of the Empire. ...

While he is no longer recognized as a saint by Catholic authorities, he is still worshipped in some places, most notably Réunion Island. Réunion is an island and overseas département (département doutre-mer, or DOM) of France, located in the Indian Ocean east of Madagascar, about 200 km southwest of Mauritius. ...

Catholic worship

Some church authorities question however whether or not he actually existed saying that he may have been inadvertently invented by a group of nuns in Paris that received a shipment of relics labeled for "expedited" delivery. Nevertheless, in the past Saint Expeditus was often called upon by believers to settle overly long legal cases. His acta have not been reviewed and demoted by the Roman Catholic Church, but his feast is not widely celebrated. The Eiffel Tower has become a symbol of Paris throughout the world. ... The Roman Catholic Church, (also known as the Catholic Church), is the ancient Christian Church led by the Bishop of Rome (commonly called the Pope). ...

His feast day in the Roman Catholic calendar is April 19. The calendar of saints is a traditional Christian method of organising a liturgical year on the level of days by associating each day with a saint, and referring to the day as the saints day of that saint. ... April 19 is the 109th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (110th in leap years). ...

Réunion Island

Large roadside altar

roadside hut altar

Statues inside the hut

Ex-votos

Expeditus, known locally as Saint Expédit, has a folk following on the French island of Réunion (in the Indian Ocean). Altars of Saint Expédit are built on the sides of roads. They can be as small as a box containing a small statue of the saint (represented as a Roman legionnaire), or as large as a small hut containing multiple statues, candles etc.; in all cases, they are painted bright red. Ex-votos thanking Saint Expédit for wishes are frequently found. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2592x1944, 2253 KB) en An altar to Saint Expédit (a local following) on the route des plaines on Réunion Island. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2592x1944, 2253 KB) en An altar to Saint Expédit (a local following) on the route des plaines on Réunion Island. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2592x1944, 2294 KB) en An altar to Saint Expédit (a local following) on the Petit Serré on Réunion Island. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2592x1944, 2294 KB) en An altar to Saint Expédit (a local following) on the Petit Serré on Réunion Island. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1944x2592, 2318 KB) en Statues of Saint Expédit inside an altar fr Statues de Saint Expédit dans un autel sur lÃŽle de la Réunion Copyright © 2005 David Monniaux File links The following pages link to this file... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1944x2592, 2318 KB) en Statues of Saint Expédit inside an altar fr Statues de Saint Expédit dans un autel sur lÃŽle de la Réunion Copyright © 2005 David Monniaux File links The following pages link to this file... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2592x1944, 2136 KB) en An altar to Saint Expédit: ex-votos fr Autel de Saint Expédit: ex-votos Copyright © 2005 David Monniaux File links The following pages link to this file: Expeditus Metadata This file contains additional information, probably... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2592x1944, 2136 KB) en An altar to Saint Expédit: ex-votos fr Autel de Saint Expédit: ex-votos Copyright © 2005 David Monniaux File links The following pages link to this file: Expeditus Metadata This file contains additional information, probably... See also Legion software and Legion forummer. ... An ex-voto is a votive offering to a saint or divinity. ...

The worship of Saint Expédit takes the form of a syncretic cult, mixing unofficial Catholicism with other beliefs (from Madagascar or India). Saint Expédit seems like a simple recourse for many, mostly in the poorer classes of society. They go to Saint Expédit in order to ask for a divine favor: finding work, money... or some other less acknowledgeable needs. It is difficult to say how many do so, since the worship of Saint Expédit is socially shunned and people generally do not visit the altars in the open. However, the altars are widespread on the island and obviously well-tended. Syncretism is the attempt to reconcile disparate, even opposing, beliefs and to meld practices of various schools of thought. ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Expeditus

• Wall Street Journal article on Expeditus (registration required)
• Saint Expédit (article by the University of Réunion, focusing on the worship on Réunion Island)