St. Apollinaris

According to tradition the first bishop of Ravenna, sent there as a disciple of St. Peter. He suffered repeated beatings and exile but kept returning to his flock until he was finally martyred. The basilica of Sant’Apollinare in Classe still stands over his tomb, its great mosaic showing the bishop-shepherd among his sheep.

Little is known of his life with historical certainty, but the ancient liturgical tradition of Ravenna attests to the depth of his veneration. He is said to have healed the blind, cast out demons, and converted many of the city's leading families, drawing the fury of the pagan authorities upon himself.

His feast on July 20 has been celebrated since antiquity, and the two great basilicas that bear his name — Sant’Apollinare in Classe and Sant’Apollinare Nuovo — rank among the finest surviving examples of early Christian art. Apollinaris stands as a witness to the first generation of bishops who planted the faith in the cities of the Roman Empire at the cost of their own blood.