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Servulus was born in Rome in the sixth century. From birth he was crippled by a severe affliction, most likely a form of palsy, which left him unable to even sit upright, let alone walk or stand. When he lay on one side, he was unable to turn to the other, and he was unable to even feed himself. His mother and brother did their best to care for him, but all were extremely poor. Despite this, Servulus was never heard to complain, even in the midst of his most severe pains. Servulus instead continually praised God, often by the chanting of the Psalms. His mother and brother carried him daily to the door of St. Clement’s Church, where he begged for alms, but of these he used only the barest minimum, giving the rest away to his fellow poor. Whenever they could, Servulus and his family gave lodging to poor religious who had come to visit Rome, and they were repaid by having Holy Scripture, spiritual works, or the lives of the saints read to them by their lodgers. After many years of patient suffering, Servulus died at his home, surrounded by the poor and religious pilgrims, with whom he wished to chant the psalms and hymns once more. Pope St. Gregory the Great preached a homily about Servulus, and seemed to have known the holy beggar in person.
AT Rome, the holy virgin Victoria, a martyr, in the persecution of the emperor Decius. She had been promised in marriage to a pagan named Eugene, but because she refused to marry him and to offer sacrifice to idols, and because by working many miracles, she brought many virgins to the service of God, she was, at the request of her betrothed, stabbed in the heart with a sword by the executioner.
At Nicomedia, the birthday of twenty holy martyrs, whom the persecution of Diocletian made martyrs for the faith of Christ, after subjecting them to the most painful torments.
In the same place, the Saints Migdonius and Mardonius; one of whom was burned alive in the same persecution, and the other died in a pit into which he had been thrown. A deacon of St. Anthimus, bishop of Nicomedia, suffered at the same time. He was arrested by the Gentiles when carrying letters to the martyrs, and being overwhelmed with stones, went to our Lord.
In Crete, the holy martyrs Theodulus, Saturninus, Euporus, Gelasius, Eunician, Zeticus, Cleomenes, Agathopus, Gelasius, and Evaristus, who were beheaded, after suffering cruel torments, in the persecution of Decius.
At Rome, blessed Servulus, of whom St. Gregory writes, that a paralytic from his early years to the end of his life, he remained lying in a porch near St. Clement’s Church, and being invited by the chant of angels, he went to enjoy the glory of Paradise. At his tomb, frequent miracles are wrought by Almighty God.
℣. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
℟. Thanks be to God.