Valencia Cathedral (Relics of St. Vincent)

The Story

The Metropolitan Cathedral-Basilica of the Assumption of Our Lady in Valencia, Spain, begun in 1262 on the site of a former mosque after the Christian reconquest of the city, preserves a treasured relic of St. Vincent, deacon and martyr — the protomartyr of Spain and the city's patron. Vincent served as deacon to Bishop Valerius of Saragossa (Zaragoza). According to the traditional account, during the persecution under the emperor Diocletian he was brought to Valencia, where he endured cruel torments rather than renounce the faith, dying a martyr around the year 304. His witness spread rapidly through the early Church: the poet Prudentius sang his praises, and St. Augustine preached sermons on his feast, calling his triumph a victory of grace. The cathedral venerates the relic of the saint's left arm. According to the account preserved by the cathedral, a bishop of Valencia carried the relic with him on pilgrimage in the early twelfth century and died en route in Italy, where the relic long remained; centuries later it was returned to Valencia and entrusted to the cathedral, where it is displayed for veneration. The cathedral is also famous as the home of the chapel of the Holy Chalice, a venerated ancient cup that tradition associates with the Last Supper. Together these treasures make the cathedral a center of pilgrimage where the memory of the early martyrs and devotion to the Eucharist meet. St. Vincent's feast on January 22 is celebrated with particular solemnity in Valencia, which honors him as its patron.

Church Recognition

St. Vincent has been venerated since the early Church, and his feast is kept on the General Roman Calendar on January 22; the cathedral that guards his relic holds the rank of metropolitan cathedral-basilica and is the seat of the Archdiocese of Valencia.

Catholic Teaching

Martyrdom is the supreme witness to the truth of the faith (CCC 2473), and the Church commends the veneration of the martyrs' relics as an expression of the communion of saints (CCC 1674): in honoring St. Vincent, the faithful honor Christ, whose grace sustained him.

Plan Your Visit

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Practical

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Pilgrims visiting the cathedral venerate the relic of St. Vincent Martyr and pray in the chapel of the Holy Chalice, and may also climb the Miguelete bell tower. Celebrations in the saint's honor peak around his feast on January 22, kept with special devotion in Valencia.

Go Deeper

See the cathedral's official website, catedraldevalencia.es, for the relic of St. Vincent Martyr and the Holy Chalice chapel; read St. Augustine's sermons on St. Vincent, and Catechism of the Catholic Church 2473 on martyrdom as witness.