Who IS St. Valentine?

Who is St. Valentine? Many legends exist around the man for whom the day of romance is named. The Catholic Church recognizes three saints, all martyrs, by the name of Valentinus or St. Valentine. Though no one knows exactly how the legend goes, everyone can appreciate the heroic and romantic appeal of each.

One legend is set in third century Rome where Claudius II had forbidden marriages because he believed that single men made better soldiers than married men. St. Valentine defied this injustice by marrying young lovers in private. Another legend contends that St. Valentine was killed while helping others escape from a brutal Roman prison. A third legend asserts that St. Valentine fell in love with a young girl who visited him while he was in prison. He sent what is considered the first valentine, signed “from your Valentine,” a phrase that has evolved into the holiday’s most popular salutation – “Be my Valentine.”

Diane Fausel