Martyr Vincent of Saragossa (Augustopolis)

Martyr Vincent, deacon of Saragossa (the city of Augustopolis, now Zaragoza, Spain), suffered in 304 during the persecution of Emperor Diocletian. He served as deacon under Bishop Valerius of Saragossa; when the bishop, due to a speech impediment, was unable to answer properly at his interrogation before the governor Dacian, Vincent boldly spoke on his behalf, openly confessing faith in Christ. For this he was subjected to the cruelest tortures: his body was torn with iron hooks, burned on a red-hot iron grate, and he was thrown into a dungeon to lie on broken pottery shards. The martyr's steadfastness in confessing the faith amid his torments made such a strong impression on eyewitnesses that it became a model of Christian courage, later celebrated by St. Augustine of Hippo and the poet Prudentius. He died from his tortures in 304. His relics are venerated in Spain and Portugal; Cape St. Vincent in southwestern Portugal is named in his honor.