St. Sebastian
Posted on January 22, 2019 by admin No comments
Died: c. AD 288
Venerated: in Roman Catholic Church Eastern Orthodox Church Oriental Orthodoxy Anglicanism Aglipayan Church
Major shrine: St. Andrew’s Basilica, Arthunkal India
Feast: January 20 (Roman Catholic), December 18 (Orthodox)
Patronage: Soldiers, plague-stricken, archers, holy Christian death, athletes, Negombo, Roman Catholic Diocese of Tarlac, Roman Catholic Diocese of Bacolod
Saint Sebastian (died c. AD 288) was an early Christian saint and martyr. According to traditional belief, he was killed during the Roman emperor Diocletian’s persecution of Christians. He is most commonly depicted in art and literature tied to a post or tree and shot with arrows, but this did not kill him. He was, according to his legend, rescued and healed by Saint Irene of Rome, which became a popular subject in 17th-century painting. In all versions of the story, shortly after his recovery he went to Diocletian to warn him about his sins, and as a result was clubbed to death. He is venerated in the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church.
The details of Saint Sebastian’s martyrdom were first spoken of by 4th-century bishop Ambrose of Milan (Saint Ambrose), in his sermon (number 22) on Psalm 118. Ambrose stated that Sebastian came from Milan and that he was already venerated there at that time. Saint Sebastian is a popular male saint, especially today among athletes. In historical times he was regarded as a saint with a special ability to intercede to protect from plague, and devotion to him increased greatly when plague was active.
Life
The first surviving account giving details of Sebastian’s life and death is the Passio Sancti Sebastiani, long thought to have been written by Ambrose of Milan in the 4th century, but now regarded as a 5th-century account by an unknown author. This includes the “two martyrdoms”, and the care by Irene in between, and other details that remained part of the story.
According to Sebastian’s 18th-century entry in Acta Sanctorum, still attributed to Ambrose by the 17th-century hagiographer Jean Bolland, and the briefer account in the 14th-century Legenda Aurea, he was a man of Gallia Narbonensis who was taught in Mediolanum (Milan). In 283, Sebastian entered the army in Rome under Emperor Carinus to assist the martyrs. Because of his courage he became one of the captains of the Praetorian Guards under Diocletian and Maximian, who were unaware that he was a Christian.
According to tradition, Marcus and Marcellian were twin brothers from a distinguished family and were deacons. Both brothers married, and they resided in Rome with their wives and children. The brothers refused to sacrifice to the Roman gods and were arrested. They were visited by their parents Tranquillinus and Martia in prison, who attempted to persuade them to renounce Christianity. Sebastian succeeded in converting Tranquillinus and Martia, as well as Saint Tiburtius, the son of Chromatius, the local prefect. Another official, Nicostratus, and his wife Zoe were also converted. It has been said that Zoe had been a mute for six years; however, she made known to Sebastian her desire to be converted to Christianity. As soon as she had, her speech returned to her. Nicostratus then brought the rest of the prisoners; these 16 persons were converted by Sebastian.
Chromatius and Tiburtius converted; Chromatius set all of his prisoners free from jail, resigned his position, and retired to the country in Campania. Marcus and Marcellian, after being concealed by a Christian named Castulus, were later martyred, as were Nicostratus, Zoe, and Tiburtius.
Martyrdom
Sebastian had prudently concealed his faith, but in 286 it was detected. Diocletian reproached him for his supposed betrayal, and he commanded him to be led to a field and there to be bound to a stake so that certain archers from Mauritania would shoot arrows at him. “And the archers shot at him till he was as full of arrows as an urchin is full of pricks, and thus left him there for dead.” Miraculously, the arrows did not kill him. The widow of Castulus, Irene of Rome, went to retrieve his body to bury it, and she discovered he was still alive. She brought him back to her house and nursed him back to health.
Sebastian later stood by a staircase where the emperor was to pass and harangued Diocletian for his cruelties against Christians. This freedom of speech, and from a person whom he supposed to have been dead, greatly astonished the emperor; but, recovering from his surprise, he gave orders for his being seized and beaten to death with cudgels, and his body thrown into the common sewer. A pious lady, called Lucina, admonished by the martyr in a vision, privately removed the body, and buried it in the catacombs at the entrance of the cemetery of Calixtus, where now stands the Basilica of St. Sebastian.
Location of remains
Remains reputed to be those of Sebastian are housed in Rome in the Basilica Apostolorum, built by Pope Damasus I in 367 on the site of the provisional tomb of Saints Peter and Paul. The church, today called San Sebastiano fuori le mura, was rebuilt in the 1610s under the patronage of Scipione Borghese.
St. Ado, Eginard, Sigebert, and other contemporary authors relate that, in the reign of Louis Debonnair, Pope Eugenius II gave the body of St. Sebastian to Hilduin, Abbot of St. Denys, who brought it into France, and it was deposited at Saint Medard Abbey, at Soissons, on 8 December, in 826.
Sebastian’s cranium was brought to the town of Ebersberg (Germany) in 934. A Benedictine abbey was founded there and became one of the most important pilgrimage sites in southern Germany. It is said the silver-encased cranium was used as a cup in which to present wine to the faithful during the feast of Saint Sebastian.
As protector against plague
The belief that Saint Sebastian was a defense against the plague was a medieval addition to his reputation, which largely accounts for the enormous increase in his importance in the Late Middle Ages. The connection of the martyr shot with arrows with the plague is not an intuitive one, however. In Greco-Roman myth, Apollo, the archer god, at times destroys his enemies by shooting plague-arrows from the heavens, but is also the deliverer from pestilence; the figure of Sebastian Christianizes this folkloric association. Similar metaphors for divine displeasure occur in the Hebrew Bible.
The hopeful example of Sebastian being able to recover from his “first martyrdom” (or “sagittation”, as it is sometimes called) was also relevant, and the arrow-wounds can resemble the buboes that were symptoms of bubonic plague. Visually, “the arrow wounds call to God for mercy to us, as the symptoms of the unfirm call for pity from the passerby”, as Molanus put it.
The chronicler Paul the Deacon relates that, in 680, Rome was freed from a raging pestilence by him. The Golden Legend transmits the episode of a great plague that afflicted the Lombards in the time of King Gumburt, which was stopped by the erection of an altar in honor of Sebastian in the Church of Saint Peter in the Province of Pavia.
Patronage
In the Roman Catholic Church, Sebastian is commemorated by an optional memorial on 20 January. In the Church of Greece, Sebastian’s feast day is on 18 December. As a protector from the bubonic plague, Sebastian was formerly one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers. In Catholicism, Sebastian is the patron saint of archers, pin-makers, athletes (a modern association), and of a holy death.
Sebastian is one of the patron saints of the city of Qormi in Malta along with Saint George. Sebastian is the patron saint of Acireale, Caserta and Petilia Policastro in Italy, Melilli in Sicily, and San Sebastián as well as Palma de Mallorca and Huelva in Spain. He is the patron saint of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Informally, in the tradition of the Afro-Brazilian syncretic religion Umbanda, Sebastian is often associated with Oxossi, especially in the state of Rio de Janeiro itself.
Feast of St. Sebastian is celebrated among Catholic communities of Kerala in India, with lot of elegance and colour. Churches are grandiosely illuminated and decorated, with fireworks being a main event in every Catholic home to commemorate the saint. Every parish has its own date of celebration, especially in the districts of Thrissur, Ernakulam, St. Andrew’s Basilica, Arthunkal and Kottayam. In Kanjoor Syro Malabar Church the feast is celebrated in a tremendous manner with the largest procession of Golden Crosses and Decorated umbrellas in Asia. Besides this, many pilgrim centres, churches, shrines and many educational institutions too, throughout Kerala, bear the name of the saint.
He is the patron of a college named for him in Manila, Philippines which is adjacent to the Parish of San Sebastian. At the Catholic Newman Community at the University of Rochester, the St. Sebastian Society is an organization of campus-wide Christian athletes that works to serve the greater Rochester, New York area through methods of restorative justice, special needs fundraising, and community service.
Sebastian is the patron saint of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bacolod, in Negros Occidental, Philippines and Lipa City in Batangas, Philippines. Also, Saint Sebastian is the patron saint of Leon City Mexico. A representation of the Saint in his martyrdom is present in the upper left corner of the city coat of arms.
Saint Sebastian is the patron of Knights of Columbus Council #4926 in the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Jose in California, serving the cities of Mountain View and Los Altos. Saint Sebastian is the patron saint of the Catholic War Veterans of the United States of America. The highest award given by the CWV is the Honor Legion of the Order of St. Sebastian.
In his 1906 Reminiscences, Carl Schurz recalls the annual “bird shoot” pageant of the Rhenish town of Liblar which was sponsored by the Saint Sebastian Society, a club of sharpshooters and their sponsors to which nearly every adult member of town belonged.
The St. Sebastian River is named after him. It is a tributary of the Indian River Lagoon and comprises part of the boundary between Indian River County and Brevard County in Florida. The adjacent city of Sebastian, Florida and St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park are also named for Saint Sebastian.
Prayer to St. Sebastian
Dear Commander at the Roman Emperor’s court, you chose to be also a soldier of Christ and dared to spread faith in the King’s of King’s, for which you were condemned to die. Your body, however proved athletically strong and the executing arrows extremely weak, so another means to kill you was chosen and you gave your life to the Lord. May athletes be always as strong in their faith as you so clearly have been. Amen.
Prayer to St. Sebastian
Glorious Sebastian, martyr and saint, I call on your strength and courage to help me through this difficult trial. Your faith was so deep, a multitude of arrows could not finish you. I ask for your intercession that I may also survive that which threatens to destroy my beliefs in the mercy of Christ. Amen.
Prayer to St. Sebastian
Saint Sebastian and marytr, You survived your arrows of death to to defend the truths of Christ. The piercing wounds inflicted for your faith only proved to strengthen your belief. May you intercede for those who are weakened from the effects of disease. May their bodies be miraculously strengthened physically and spiritually, as was yours,through the grace and mercy of Christ. Amen
Novena to St. Sebastian
Monday: First Day: “Love your enemies. Pray for those who persecute you.”
St. Sebastian lived in the early days of the church, when to be a Christian often meant to stand up for your faith and eventually to die for it. We know that he was born of Christian parents and that he passed the days of his childhood under the instruction of pious parents. God had His own plans for the child, who was to become the strong support and guide of his fellow Christians during the turbulent times of the persecution to come, when he was to be privileged to die as martyr for Christ. But also for all times he was to serve to the Christian world as shining example of a fearless life of faith. God so willed it that as a soldier in the Roman army he attracted the attention and good pleasure of the emperor and being of noble extraction he was raised to the rank of an officer in the palace guard.
We pray for all the members of our parish and their families.
Prayer: Holy Martyr, St. Sebastian, no greater gift could be given you than the gift of faith. Sanctified in baptism you grew in holiness from the days of your childhood. So much has God loved you that He made you a pillar of strength in the early church. Strengthen my faith, that it may become the source of energy for a good Christian life and that I too may be a good example to those around me. Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be.
Tuesday: Second Day: “Blessed are the pure of heart. They shall see God.”
When the Roman empire showed signs of imminent collapse, emperor Diocletian, thinking of how to stem the tide, resolved to exterminate the Christians, as he believed them to be the cause of its ruin. It was one of the most savage and best planned persecutions which struck at all social classes of the people; many of the noble families were dragged before the judges. Among others also Marcus and Marcelinus, friends of the emperor and of Sebastian, were thrown into prison. Sebastian visited them, comforting and encouraging them and their companions, all suffering for the faith, so much that they looked forward with joy for the day when they could suffer death “for the Name of Christ.” Our Lord, pleased by his service spoke to him the following words: “Sebastian, I came to tell you how much I am delighted for what you are doing to My beloved disciples; I promise to be with you always till you are united with Me in glory.” Greatly comforted Sebastian continued his work of mercy and led many to glorious martyrdom.
We pray for all the baptized members of our parish who no longer worship with us.
Prayer: O glorious St. Sebastian, fearless Confessor of Christ and Consoler of those who were going to lay down their life as witnesses to their faith, pray for us. Help us to never be lukewarm in living our faith. May we never tire of living wholeheartedly as the disciples of Jesus. Help all the baptized members of our parish to deepen their living of the Christian faith. Help me, dear Saint, and Patron to be an example of a holy and loving life. Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be.
Wednesday: Third Day: “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hilltop cannot be hidden.”
With great courage Sebastian preached the faith in the troubled times of persecution to Christians and pagans alike. Moved by the encouraging words of this Christian soldier many pagans were converted and baptized, others, by the astounding miracles Sebastian performed before their eyes. Not alone that he cured their bodily ailments; he convinced them to be baptized, to become Christians and to live a good Catholic life. He had refused to hide his faith and soon he was accused of being a Christian and arrested. The emperor would not believe when the news was broken to him. “Sebastian? that flawless officer and soldier? He can not, he must not be a Christian. If however it were true, I would easily change his mind. . .” – “Yes, Lord,” Sebastian, the captain of the palace guard said, “it is true, I am a Christian” when confronting the emperor. “What evil do you find in it? I always have been a Christian.” “Tell me,” the emperor responded, “I speak as a friend to a friend – what do you want me to do for you? Is it wealth, honour, higher rank? You have it; only relinquish that foolish faith in Christ.” Sebastian answered: “O Lord, what a trifling thing you offer; I am richer than you can make me; the greatest honour was bestowed upon me by being made a Christian.” The emperor, seeing his love spurned, raged in fury. He ordered him to be stripped of his insignia, thrown into prison, and to be killed by being shot with arrows. Hearing these words Sebastian rejoiced, his face shining with inexpressible delight: he could die for Christ.
We pray for an increase in vocations to the priesthood and religious life.
Prayer: O St. Sebastian, to countless people you have shown the way to Christ. Christians, enlightened by your words, gladly sacrificed earthly life and worldly honour, that they may gain Life Eternal. You withstood the emperor in defence of Christian truth. You despised the treasures of the world to gain the everlasting joys of heaven: obtain
for me the grace that I may grow ever stronger in my faith and never put my trust in material things. May I always place the following of Christ above all earthly honours or material comforts. Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be.
Thursday: Fourth Day: Blessed are those who are persecuted for what is right. Theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
Sebastian was marched off and out of the city by the soldiers to suffer the punishment decreed upon him by the emperor. He had made his choice for a greater Lord than Diocletian, to Whom he had sworn allegiance in baptism and for Whom he was going now to shed his blood. Horrified, the crowd witnessed the bloody spectacle, and like a flash of lightning it came upon them: here stands a valiant soldier, who has better arms to wield, who fights his battle for victory; a hero whose head will wear the crown of glory.
We pray for the sick and housebound of our parish.
Prayer: Holy Martyr, St. Sebastian, great was your love of Christ, when for His sake you were ready to suffer and die. Obtain for me from Jesus, our Divine Victim Who offered His body an oblation for the salvation of our souls, pardon for my sins. May I also in all truthfulness be able to say with St. Paul: “I live; now not I, but Christ lives in me;” Christ poor and despised, Christ hated and persecuted, Christ suffering and crucified, may He live in me henceforth, as He has lived in you Sebastian, His holy Martyr. Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be.
Friday: Fifth Day: I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows me will have the light of life.
The executioners had done their work and left the place, leaving behind, tied to the tree the apparently lifeless body of their victim. But Sebastian wasn’t dead yet. In the dark of the night an angel descended and consoled the brave soldier of Christ, who again had regained consciousness. The angel called out into the night to attract the attention of people living in the neighbourhood. A Christian lady, Irene by name, hastened to snatch the body of the holy martyr, still alive. Hurriedly she cut the ropes with which the soldiers had tied the body to the trunk of the tree, wrapped her cloak around him and supporting him she managed to bring him to her house. There she tended his wounds and took good care of him till he was cured. Greatly moved by the story of the angel which Sebastian told to the lady, they both gave thanks to the Lord for the wonderful manifestation of divine love and mercy.
We pray for all in our community who live with addiction, mental illness or disability.
Prayer: O glorious St. Sebastian, Pride of our holy Church: I praise the Lord Who has glorified you, His holy Martyr, in order to build up the faith in the hearts of Christians. From your place of glory look down upon me, so weak in my living of my faith. Pray to Jesus for me that I may walk with unbending strength of will on the path of genuine Christian teachings and never fail to serve my brothers and sisters in imitation of Christ. Make me to see the light the truth that makes us free. Help me cultivate the spiritual life with Christ, and through Christ, and in Christ, here on earth, and forever in heaven. Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be.
Saturday: Sixth Day “Take up your cross every day and follow me.”
The emperor thought that Sebastian was dead. He rejoiced in the thought that he felled a strong pillar of the church of Christ. Imagine therefore his surprise and terror when, not long after, he stood before him, his wounds perfectly healed and his body restored to health and vigour. “What,” he said, not fully trusting his eyes, “are you not Sebastian, whom I had ordered to be killed by arrows, for stubbornly adhering to that foolish Christian belief? How do you dare to appear before me now?” Sebastian said “The Lord Jesus gave me back again the life which you tried to take from me, so that you be given fresh proof of the truth that there is but one Lord and that your gods are false and powerless.” Hearing these words the emperor raged in anger and cried out to his soldiers: “Take this proud wretch, who dares to speak thus to me. Torture him, flog him, and kill him for sure.” Sebastian answered: “Know, my lord, that your tortures will be welcome to me; they will not make me relinquish my faith and betray Christ Who loved me and freed me from the slavery of sin and death. I shall not stop to preach Him and would gladly give one thousand lives for Him, if I had them.”
We pray for all in our parish who are living through financial difficulty and all who are anxious about the future.
Prayer: St. Sebastian, Martyr and Patron of our Parish, fearlessly you appeared before the emperor who now hated you so much; but you tried again to preach to him the truth about the Kingdom of God so that he might see and believe and bend his knees to worship the one, true God. Come to my aid in this confusing world of so many different voices and opinions and help me cling to Christ, my Lord, and to defend His holy Gospel by living it as fully as I can until the last day of my life. Holy Patron, assist me as I try to follow Jesus in the challenges of each day. Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be.
Sunday: Seventh Day “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
For a second time Sebastian was fastened to the trunk of the tree; for a second time, the executioners did their bloody work on the soldier-martyr. Aside from humiliations heaped upon this high ranking officer the torture was indescribable. With crude clubs they beat him, till pieces of flesh fell from his body. Then they shot him again with arrows. With astounding humility and patience Sebastian suffered this inhuman treatment, praying all the while for his torturers and for the victory of the cause of Christ. That Christ may live in the hearts of all people, he offered Him his life. The Lord accepted this selfless offering; He took the precious life of His martyr to make him live forever with Him in heavenly glory.
We pray for all in our parish who find themselves far from their homeland and families.
Prayer: Holy Patron of our Parish, St. Sebastian, I rejoice in your unending happiness. Compassionately look down upon me, as I pass through this world of temptations. When I look back upon my life I am disheartened by my frequent failures. Holy Martyr, obtain pardon for my sins against my Christian vocation; for having lived carelessly, neglectfully; for choosing comfort and the admiration of those around me over the following of Christ. Help me by your powerful intercession to live my life to God’s glory, that I may be found worthy of sharing with you the unending joys of heaven. Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be.
Monday: Eighth Day “Blessed are those who mourn. They shall be comforted.”
“The blood of the martyrs is the seed of Christians.” This mysterious saying is almost as old as the church. While living, Sebastian through his words and miracles led many to the font of baptism and fanned in the hearts of many the desire to die for Him. The miracle of conversion to the true faith was still more multiplied after his death. The emperor learned of it and conscious of his powerlessness ordered that the corpse of the martyr be thrown into a foul-smelling pit, where the bodies of dead animals were thrown, so as to prevent the Christians from paying their martyr reverence and respect. However, this intention of the emperor was foiled, as the corpse, when being flung downward was caught by a protruding branch of a tree. The news of it was brought by Sebastian himself that very night to a pious lady, St. Lucina, whom he begged to go and fetch the body and bury it in the catacombs at the feet of the princes of the Apostles, Saints Peter and Paul. On this spot was built later the church of St. Sebastian, where the relics of this martyr of Christ are kept till now.
We pray for all who are involved in our parish school, pupils, staff and families.
Prayer: Holy Martyr, St. Sebastian, glorified by the holy lives of so many whom you have inspired to follow you to martyrdom, I resolve today to follow and to undergo voluntarily the martyrdom of dying to myself, that Christ may live in me and in the hearts of my brothers and sisters. Continue your sanctifying apostolate from heaven and shield us against the many temptations that surround us, so that the number of those who love Christ may increase. Keep us, O holy Martyr and powerful Protector, from pestilence and contagious diseases of body and soul. Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be.
Tuesday: Ninth Day “I have come that you may have life, life in abundance.”
Diocletian goes down in history as a great emperor; but to the Christian true glory does not lie in earthly power. St. Sebastian remains in eternity a hero, whom God has crowned with glory. He is not dead and remembered only by name, as Diocletian is, but he lives in the Church, he lives in the hearts of the Christians who venerate him. To his honour churches and altars have been erected all over the world. Diocletian once believed he could stamp out the memory of Sebastian. God stood in the way of his evil plans and sided with Sebastian, His martyr, whom He honoured and crowned with glory.
We ask God’s blessing on our parish. We pray for the intentions of all who have prayed this novena in honour of St. Sebastian.
Prayer: St. Sebastian, holy Patron, in heavenly glory and joy do not forget us, who carry on the mission of Christ through the Church. Grant that I may cling to Jesus Christ with my whole heart. Obtain for me on this last day of the novena a deeper love of God, my Lord and King, that I may serve Him with generosity of heart and with submission to His most holy will. Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be.
The Litany of St. Sebastian
Lord, have mercy on us! R/ Lord, have mercy on us!
Christ, have mercy on us! R/ Christ, have mercy on us!
Lord, have mercy on us! R/ Lord, have mercy on us!
Christ hear us! R/ Christ, graciously hear us!
God, the Father of heaven, R/ have mercy on us!
God, the Son, Redeemer of the world, R/ have mercy on us!
God, the Holy Spirit, R/ have mercy on us!
Holy Trinity, one God, R/ have mercy on us!
Holy Mary, Queen of Martyrs. R/Pray for us.
Saint Sebastian. R/Pray for us.
Invincible Martyr. R/Pray for us.
Glorious warrior and martyr of Christ. R/Pray for us.
Patron and mirror of Christian soldiers. R/Pray for us.
Despiser of the world. R/Pray for us.
Comforter of the dying. R/Pray for us.
Consoler of the afflicted. R/Pray for us.
Announcer of the word of God. R/Pray for us.
Protector and Patron of our Parish. R/Pray for us.
Saint Sebastian, perfect in virtue and wisdom. R/Pray for us.
St. Sebastian, servant of God and of his brothers and sisters. R/Pray for us.
St. Sebastian, mighty in word and work. R/Pray for us.
St. Sebastian, who strengthened the Christians in torments and death. R/Pray for us.
St. Sebastian, who fortified those wavering in their faith. R/Pray for us.
St. Sebastian, who encouraged the doubting to persevere to the end. R/Pray for us.
St. Sebastian, who, inflamed with love of God, despised the pains inflicted by the tyrant. R/Pray for us.
St. Sebastian, surrounded by celestial light. R/Pray for us.
St. Sebastian, instructed by the holy Angels. R/Pray for us.
St. Sebastian, giving speech to the dumb. R/Pray for us.
St. Sebastian, who for defending the truth was wounded by arrows. R/Pray for us.
St. Sebastian, who was put to death with clubs. R/Pray for us.
St. Sebastian, who was crowned with eternal glory. R/Pray for us.
St. Sebastian, great intercessor for us with God. R/Pray for us.
St. Sebastian, endowed with power from God to avert pestilence and all contagious diseases. R/Pray for us.
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world: R/ Spare us, O Lord!
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world: R/ Graciously hear us, O Lord!
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world: R/ Have mercy on us, O Lord!
Christ, hear us! R/ Christ, hear us!
Christ, graciously hear us! R/ Christ, graciously hear us!
(Silent prayer for your own intentions.)
Let us pray:
Merciful Father, may the glorious intercession of Your blessed martyr Saint Sebastian be our protection. Bless our parish, named in his honour and placed under his protection. Grant all that we ask for in these days of prayer in preparation for his feast, according to your will, through our Lord Jesus Christ your Son, Who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.