Today the Church remembers St. Alexander of Bergammo.
Ora pro nobis.
Before the commencement of the Diocletianic Persecution in 303 AD, both Galerius and Maximian in the West inaugurated, on their own responsibility, a crusade against Christianity and sought particularly to remove all Christians from the armies. St. Alexander was one of the victims of this persecution. He was a survivor of the decimation (the killing of every tenth man) ordered by Maximian against the Theban Legion. After the decimation, he escaped to Milan. (St. Maurice and the largely Christian Theban Legion refused orders to kill local Christians and Maximian commanded the decimation of the Legion. After refusing a second command to kill local Christians after the decimation, a second decimation was ordered by Maximian. When St. Maurice refused, ha and the entire legion were executed.)
At Milan, Alexander was recognized and imprisoned, and it was demanded that he renounce his Christian faith. However, he was visited in jail by Saint Fidelis and Bishop Saint Maternus. With the help of Fidelis, Alexander managed to escape. Alexander fled to Como but was captured again.
Brought back to Milan, he was once more condemned to death by decapitation. However, the executioner's arms went stiff during the execution. He was imprisoned again, but Alexander once again managed to escape and ended up in Bergamo after passing through Fara Gera d'Adda and Capriate San Gervasio. At Bergamo, he was the guest of the lord Crotacius, who bid him to hide from his persecutors. However, Alexander decided to become a preacher instead and converted many natives of Bergamo, including Firmus and Rusticus, who were later martyred. Alexander was once again captured, tortured to induce him to renounce Jesus, and was finally decapitated on August 26, 303 AD, on the spot now occupied by the church of San Alessandro in Colonna.
Almighty God, who gave to your servant Alexander boldness to confess the Name of our Savior Jesus Christ before the rulers of this world, and courage to die for this faith: Grant that we may always be ready to give a reason for the hope that is in us, and to suffer gladly for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.
Amen.
