Saint Liberatus (Liberalis)

Little is known about Liberalis — or Liberatus — and that little is drawn from inscriptions. According to some information in the *Sylloge Laureshamensis*, he was from a noble Roman family and held the office of suffect consul. He suffered martyrdom for his faith during the reign of Claudius Gothicus, in 269 — although several scholars consider this dating unlikely. He was buried on the old Via Salaria, in a catacomb that documents call *ad septem palumbas*, “at the seven doves,” also known as the catacomb ad clivum Cucumeris. His cult is very ancient: his name already appears in the Hieronymian Martyrology, from the fifth century, and it appears twice — on December 20 and 21 — which makes it hard to establish which was really the day of his death. In the manuscripts of that martyrology the name appears in slightly different forms, and over the centuries this has caused confusion with other saints of the same name, including the Liberalis who is patron of Treviso, a different person. If your name is Liberatus or Liberalis, today is your name day.