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St. Victorian, Proconsul of Carthage
March 23
In 480, Huneric, the Arian king of the Vandals in Africa began a grievous persecution of the clergy and holy virgins which in 484 became general and occasioned vast numbers of Catholics to be put to death. Victorian was the wealthiest subject the king who had placed great confidence in him. After the king published his cruel edict, he sent a message to Victorian in the most obliging terms, promising that if he would conform to his religion and execute his orders, to give him the greatest wealth and the highest honors. Victorian’s reply, “Tell the king that I trust in Christ. If his majesty pleases, he may condemn me to the flames or to wild beasts or to any torments: but I shall never consent to renounce the Catholic Church in which I have been baptized. Even if there were no other life after this I would never be ungrateful and perfidious to God, who hath granted me the happiness of knowing him and who hath bestowed on me his most precious graces.” Victorian suffered unimaginable tortures from this response and finished his glorious martyrdom with joy.