Seeing Nazarius’s face shine like the sun, Nero supposed that he was being deceived by magic. He told Nazarius and Celsus to abandon magic and sacrifice to the gods.
Nazarius was therefore led to the temple, where he asked everyone to go outside. When this had been done, all the idols were shattered as he prayed. Because of this, Nero commanded that Nazarius and Celsus be cast into the sea and, if they escaped, burned with fire.
The soldiers placed them in a ship and cast them into the middle of the sea. But when they had been thrown in, they stood unharmed upon the waters. A great storm arose around the ship, so that those aboard were in danger. Fearing that they would be drowned, they repented of their evils and commended themselves to the saints.
Nazarius and Celsus walked over the waters with cheerful faces and boarded the ship. Immediately there was a great calm.
Nazarius then went to Ianuam and converted many by his preaching. Afterward he reached Milan. But the prefect Anclinus sent Nazarius into exile, while Celsus remained in a certain matron’s house.
Returning to Rome, Nazarius found his father now an old man but a Christian. When his son asked how he had been converted, Africanus related that Peter had appeared to him in a vision and admonished him to imitate his wife and son, who believed in Christ.
The temple priests forced Nazarius, with much injury, to return to Milan in exile. There he was presented to the governor and, at the governor’s command, was beheaded with the boy Celsus.
Christians received their bodies and buried them in gardens. That same night a certain holy man was admonished by the saints themselves to bury their bodies more deeply on his property, and he diligently did so.
After a long time, God revealed their bodies to Saint Ambrose. Leaving Celsus in his own place, Ambrose found Nazarius whole and incorrupt, with his hair and beard, as though he had been buried that very hour, and giving forth a marvelous fragrance. He translated him to the Church of the Apostles and buried him honorably. They suffered about the year of the Lord 57.
§ I: Saint Mennius
Saint Mennius, likewise born at Rome of noble stock, was consecrated bishop by Saint Peter the Apostle and sent by him into the regions of Gaul to evangelize Christ’s kingdom.
With him went Saint Dyonisius, the future bishop of Paris; Saint Eucharius, bishop of the city of Treverensis; Saint Savinianus, the future bishop of Senonis; Saint Symierus, the future bishop of Suesionensis; seven other bishops; and the subdeacon Domitian. They are known to have been brothers in Christ as though born from a single womb.
When they had gone eighteen miles from Rome, the subdeacon Domitian happened to depart from this life. After he was buried, Saint Mennius returned to the city and tearfully explained to Blessed Peter what had happened in the death of his companion.
Peter said to him: “Take the fringe of my garment and return to the place of Domitian’s burial. Hang it over the tomb and say, ‘The Lord Jesus Christ and my master Peter command you not to delay in walking, just as Peter commanded you with his own mouth to go with me as a companion to preach God’s word to the Gentiles.’”
When Mennius had done this, Domitian immediately arose unharmed and began the journey with him.
They came to the city of Cathalanensis, which, like the other peoples, was devoted to idolatry. There the Lord worked many miracles through them: restoring sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, and walking to the lame. Whoever was afflicted with sickness and sought the aid of Blessed Bishop Mennius with entire faith was restored to former health.
Because of their pagan error and hardness of heart, the people of Cathalanensis refused to receive either Mennius or his teaching. Moved by divine inspiration, the holy man therefore withdrew with the counsel of his ministers to a desert place one mile from the city. He remained there with his companions for a year, devoting himself day and night to prayers and fasts.
It happened that a certain noble boy was drowned in the little river beside the city gate. When his parents learned this, they raised a most violent lament over the dead body. Having learned of Saint Mennius’s miracles, they came to his cave and tearfully begged him to raise their son.
Mennius came to the place where the corpse lay, restored the boy to life and health by his prayers, and baptized him.
The fame of his power spread through the city because of this miracle. The people asked him to enter the city as their bishop and honorably accompanied him with a great multitude.
On reaching the city gate, he immediately healed three blind men and three lepers whom he found on the road, invoking the Trinity’s name and making the sign of the cross over them.
Received as bishop, he converted and baptized almost the entire city. Like a good shepherd he governed it for eighty years with divine instruction, persevering in prayers, fasts, and alms.