Portal:Catholic Church/Patron Archive/July 9 2007

Zeno of Verona, Italian: Zenone da Verona (about 300 - 371 or 300 - 380) was either an early Christian bishop or martyr. He is a saint in the Roman Catholic Church.

There is an entry in the Roman Martyrology for the Bishop of Verona who was martyred by Roman Emperor Gallenius, on April 12, 371. There are many problems with this date however, as Gallenius' rule ended in 268. The more likely candidate for Saint Zeno was confessor who governed the Church of Verona as Bishop from 362-380. His birth date is controversial but is placed sometime in the early 4th century in Mauretania near Algiers, North Africa. It is not clear whether there were two (or more) separate men with the same name or if the dates are incorrect. According to legend he was stolen at birth and briefly replaced by a demonic changeling.

Zeno is the patron saint of fishermen and anglers, the city of Verona, newborn babies as well as children learning to speak and walk. He most often represented with fishing related item such as a fish, fishing rod, or a bishop holding a fishing rod. Some 30 churches or chapels have been built in his name. His feast day is April 12.

Attributes: Fishing Rod

Patronage: Fishermen, Babies, Verona

Prayer: