Saint Felix of Nola

Felix was born in Nola in the second half of the third century, the son of a wealthy Syrian who had moved to Italy for work. He became a priest and a close collaborator of Maximus, bishop of Nola. What we know about him was left to us by Paulinus of Nola, who between 395 and 409 put into verse the oral tradition still going around in those parts. Felix was imprisoned and tortured during the persecutions; tradition says an angel freed him and that he went straight to care for the old bishop Maximus, hidden in a secret place. When the persecutions started again, he saved himself by slipping into a cistern. In 313 he returned to Nola, refused to become bishop and spent the rest of his days in poverty. He wasn’t killed, and yet the Church recognizes him as a martyr all the same: for what he had endured. It’s a decision that says a lot — a martyr isn’t only someone who loses their life, but also someone who holds on for years. His tomb, in the early Christian basilicas of Cimitile, was called *Ara Veritatis*, the altar of truth, because it was believed to be especially powerful against those who swore falsely. The celebrations in Cimitile are still serious business today. On January 5 the novena begins with *'a sagliuta 'e san Felice*, the climb of the statue from the basilica to the parish church. On the evening of the 13th the children sing, then the adults in the ancient basilicas, and a torchlight procession sets off. On the 14th, from four in the morning, bells and band: the town is awake before dawn. If your name is Felix, today is your name day, and it’s a name with the rare gift of also being a good wish (it means “happy”).