Born in London in 1179, Saint Serapius was the son of a captain of the court of Henry II. Saint Serapius went on to be a soldier in the army of King Richard the Lion-Hearted and later Leopold VI, Duke of Austria. He then went on to participate in the Reconquista, the gradual military retaking of the Iberian Peninsula from the Moors.
After meeting (Saint) Peter Nolasco in 1221, Serapius joined the order of Our Lady of the Ransom (now known as the Mercedarian Order). This order was founded and dedicated to freeing Christians who had been taken captive by the Moors.
Saint Serapius was martyred in Algeria in 1240 after a captive exchange of ransom money took too long. He was nailed to an X-shaped cross, tortured, and dismembered. He is the patron of those suffering with arthritis.
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Art
The Martyrdom of St. Serapion by Francisco de Zurbaran
The Martyrdom of St. Serapion by Francisco de Zurbaran
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