Expeditus

Expeditus also known as Saint Expeditus and Expedite was a Catholic saint and martyr who lived between the 3rd and 4th centuries, being commander of the XII Fulminata Legion of the Roman army, under the government of Emperor Diocletian.

Saint Expeditus
Painting of Saint Expeditus made by an anonymous artist from Palermo, Italy in the 19th century.
Martyr
Died	c. 303 Melitene, Armenia Minor, Roman Empire (modern-day Malatya, Turkey)
Venerated in	Catholic Church Eastern Orthodoxy
Canonized	Pre-Congregation
Feast	19 April
Attributes	Depicted as a Roman centurion, holding a palm leaf in his left hand, and raising a cross with the word hodie (today) on it in his right hand. His right foot is stepping on a crow, which is speaking the word "cras" (tomorrow).
Patronage	emergencies; expeditious solutions; against procrastination; merchants; revolutionaries; navigators

Statue of Saint Expeditus made by the Brazilian sculptor André Arjonas, in the San José church, in Porto Alegre (Brazil).

His Latin name means "Promptness" or "Swiftness," which is why he is considered a great and prompt intercessor for causes requiring rapid resolution.

He was removed from the Catholic Calendar of Saints but continues to be venerated by the common people.

His name

Expeditus is an adjective (derived from the Latin expeditus) that refers to being free from all encumbrances and ready to act. But the name Saint Expeditus also has military connotations. In ancient Rome, it was said that when soldiers marched only with their weapons and without their load, they did so expediti or in expeditionem. Conversely, when they marched with their equipment, which included a sleeping bag, eating utensils, personal belongings, digging tools, tools, and provisions, they did so impediti. The term expediti was also used to refer to the legion's formation that allowed them to operate as light infantry and move quickly.

It is believed that this is where Saint Expeditus's name comes from, or that he began his military career in a unit that operated according to these parameters, and that he may have gotten his name from it.

Patron saint

Due to his name, popular devotion considers him:

• The patron saint of urgent causes
• Lawyer of impossible causes (a title he shares with Saint Rita of Cascia and Saint Jude Thaddeus)
• Protector of the military, students, young people, and travelers
• Patron saint of overly protracted legal cases

Veneration

His feast of April 19 is widely celebrated. Expedite is venerated in Europe and strongly in Latin America. Brazil has ceremonies in São Paulo and crowds attending ceremonies to mark his April 19 feast day can reach in the hundreds of thousands. St Expedite is also venerated by Orthodox Christians being a pre-schism saint.

Iconography

Statue produced in the former atelier of Michelángelo Zambelli in Caxias do Sul (Brazil).

Images of Saint Expeditus depict him in Roman legionary garb, dressed in a short tunic and a cloak thrown back over his shoulders (in the Roman military style), and in a martial stance. In one hand, he holds a palm frond, symbolizing victory, triumph, peace, and eternal life originating in the ancient Near East and the Mediterranean.

The palm frond was sacred in Mesopotamian religions, and in ancient Egypt, it represented immortality. In the other, he holds a cross bearing the word hodie ('today' in Latin, in reference to the well-known legend). With his left foot, he steps on a raven that cries 'cras' ('tomorrow' in Latin).

Patronage

At first, he was invoked for urgent causes. In 1781 Pope Pius VI proclaimed him protector of merchants and seafarers. There was a tradition that Expeditus could be called upon to help settle overly long legal cases. Expeditus is the patron saint of Acireale, Sicily.

Other websites

• Media related to Expeditus at Wikimedia Commons
• San Expeditus Site
• San Expeditus Web