Love is in the air this week, as couples all over Ireland & the world begin to look forward to the most romantic day of the year: St Valentine’s day, but did you know that a Spratt brought the real St Valentine to Ireland?
For generations, February 14th has been synonymous with romantic cards, chocolates & gifts. However, many people know little about the actual origins and the man whose life is celebrated on this date each year.
The patron saint of love was a Roman Priest back in the 3rd century. At the time, Rome was ruled by an emperor named Claudius II. The Emperor didn’t take too kindly to Christians and persecuted the church at every opportunity. He also enforced a rule that prohibited young people from marrying each other.
His logic was that unmarried soldiers made better fighters due to lessened emotional constraints that a married soldier would have. The view of the church was that marriage was a sacred event between a man and a woman and should be encouraged. This presented a problem for the church around how to get around the emperors ruling which is where St Valentine comes into the equation.
The priest defied the emperor’s edict and began to marry Christians in secret for which he was caught for in 269 AD and sentenced to death. While in prison, the last words that he supposedly wrote were a blind girl that he had healed. The note was signed “from your Valentine” a signature used widely today in more romantic terms.
St Valentine was executed in 270 AD and became a martyr to Christians due to his actions and his refusal to deny Christianity while facing down his own death sentence. Another interesting fact about St Valentine is that his remains lie right here in Ireland at the Whitefriar Church in Dublin.
The story of how these remains arrived in Dublin is quite interesting. Fr John Spratt – who founded the Whitefriar Church – (he’s no known relation!) was a 19th-century Carmelite priest well-known for his work with the destitute and poor of Dublin. In 1835, Fr Spratt visited Rome as a guest of Pope Gregory XVI’s advisor Cardinal Weld.
While there, Fr Spratt delivered an oration which impressed Pope Gregory so much that he decided to send him a gift of his appreciation, these were what remained of St Valentine.
The relics arrived the following year in 1836 and have remained in the church ever since. There was a statue and a shrine built in honour of St Valentine in the 1950’s and ever since then loved up couples from around the world have arrived at the shrine to pray to the saint for his blessing of love.
Spratt Personal Shipping has shipped some unusual things over the years, although we’ve yet to see the remains of a third-century saint! Why not request a quote today and find out how we can help you with all your shipping and storage needs?! And Happy Valentine’s Day!