The Roman Catholic Church has many patron saints. Believers can invoke them for protection against all kinds of evil. Donatus of Münstereifel is one of the many patron saints against thunderstorms. His anniversary is June 30. Historically little is known of him, but legends about him are numerous. He lived in the second century and was a legionnaire in the infamous Roman Legio XII Fulminata (Lightning Legion). The legion with that name, in particular, freed itself from an almost fatal siege by Germans thanks to a thunderstorm. Perhaps that is the main reason why Donatus has been declared the patron saint against bad weather. The relics of Donatus of Münstereifel are buried in the Jesuit church in the German city of the same name (near Cologne). This patron saint is especially venerated in Luxembourg and Germany, including the Eifel.
Contents
- Donatus of Münstereifel – saint, martyr and legionary
- Birth of Donatus
- The miracle of Legio XII Fulminata (Lightning Legion)
- Heavy thunderstorm
- Rain miracle
- Death of Donatus
- Relics in Bad Münstereifel
- Lightning strikes
- Solemn entry
- Churches and chapels dedicated to Donatus
- Places of pilgrimage
- Attributes and iconography
Donatus of Münstereifel – saint, martyr and legionary
Historically speaking, the life story of the saint and legionary Donatus of Münstereifel (Rome ca. 140 Rome ca. 180) is largely shrouded in mystery. He is what is called a catacomb saint, which means, among other things, that little is written about him in the chronicles.
Donatus of Münstereifel, patron saint against thunderstorms. Statue in Maria Hilf Monastery, Bornheim (Germany) / Source: Jotquadrat, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA-3.0)
Germanic siege
As a Roman legion commander, Donatus is said to have prayed to God together with other Christian soldiers and thus freed his Le gio XII Fulminata (Lightning Legion) from an almost fatal Germanic siege with the help of terrible thunderstorms. However, he died a martyr. The transfer of the relics in the 17th century was also accompanied by miraculous events related to severe thunderstorms.
Birth of Donatus
According to legend, the Roman general Faustus suffered from a serious illness. His wife Flaminia was desperate. She feared that he would not get better and eventually asked for help from Saint Gervasius in Milan. She was promised that her husband would be healed and that they would have a son together. And so it happened. Faustus was healed and Flaminia, who converted to Christianity, gave birth to a son, whom she named Donatus, which means ‘gift’, ‘gift’ or ‘given’. Thus Donatus was raised in the Christian faith.
The miracle of Legio XII Fulminata (Lightning Legion)
In iconography, Donatus is often depicted as a legionary with a lightning bolt in his hand (or in both hands). This goes back to the fact that he reportedly became a ‘soldier of Rome’ at the age of 17 in the Legio XII Fulminata, also called Fulminatrix. The name is derived from the Latin word fulmen , meaning ‘lightning’. The image of a lightning bolt was also part of the legion’s banner. The famous Legio XII Fulminata was one of the many legions of the Roman Empire. The Lightning Legion was founded in the first century BC by Julius Caesar and would continue the legendary campaigns in Africa, Gaul and the Middle East, among others, until the end of the 5th century, during the period when the Western Roman Empire finally collapsed.
Donatus of Münstereifel, Statue in the Kirche St. Nikolaus, Kasel im Ruwertal (Germany) / Source: Helge Klaus Rieder, Wikimedia Commons (CC0)
Heavy thunderstorm
As a young legionnaire/infantryman in the Legio XII Fulminata, Donatus was quickly promoted and reportedly eventually became one of its commanders. In the 2nd century, around 166, the legion was deployed near the Danube in the long-drawn war against the Marcomanni, a Germanic tribe. During a siege by the Germans, the legion found itself in a dire position. The legionnaires were hungry and thirsty, because the heat wave would not pass. The environment was bone dry. The water shortage was dire. Many legionnaires of the Legio XII Fulminata are said to have been Christians. Led by Donatus, the group prayed to God and begged for rain. Not long after, a huge storm cloud developed high above them. The storm was so violent that lightning struck the Germanic siege camp incessantly, which was destroyed in many places by lightning strikes, huge hailstones and fierce gusts of wind. Many Marcomanni were injured or did not survive. Miraculously, the legionary camp was spared and the siege ended.
Rain miracle
Roman chroniclers attributed the miracle to the invocation of Roman gods, such as Mercury. Christian writers, including the church father Tertullian (c. 160 c. 230), referred to the many prayers of the Christians in that legion. The incident in the report against the Marcomanni was called the ‘rain miracle’. The events are partly historically substantiated and described, including by chronicler Cassius Dio (ca. 155 after 229), also a Roman senator of Greek descent.
Death of Donatus
Ultimately, after several events, such as the divine destruction of the Marcomanni camp, Donatus decided to devote his life to God. Although this largely had to be done in secret, given the persecution of Christians. Emperor Marcus Aurelius (121 180) wanted to appoint him bodyguard commander of the Praetorian Guard, to which Donatus agreed.
Donatus van Münstereifel, afbeelding uit 1780 / Bron: Contemporary engraver, Wikimedia Commons (Publiek domein)
Sword
Donatus, however, refused to marry Alexandra, the emperor’s niece, because he had taken a vow of chastity and purity. As a result, he fell into disgrace and was betrayed by Alexandra, who spread all kinds of fabrications and conspiracies about him. As a Christian, Donatus was accused of treason and idolatry, after which he was martyred in Alexandra’s presence. She was very indignant and offended by his rejection and was thus at the root of his martyrdom. Donatus was beheaded with the sword.
Column of Marcus-Aurelius Nevertheless, Donatus’ life story had made a great impression in Rome, because in the famous Column of Marcus Aurelius, in Rome, Donatus is depicted as commander of the Praetorian Guard, in combination with the battle against the Marcomanni and the ‘rain miracle’. His mother had him buried in the extensive catacombs of Sant’Agnese (Agnes Church) in Rome. Nearly 1,500 years later, the tomb with the inscription Sancti Donati Martyris was discovered.
Relics in Bad Münstereifel
In 1646, Pope Innocent During that period, the tombs of many catacomb saints were discovered and opened. The relics (often just a piece of bone) were placed in reliquaries and donated to countless monasteries and churches throughout Europe. The relics of Donatus, a gift from Innocent X, were carried in procession from Rome to the Rhineland.
Source: AgencjaAIAC, Pixabay
Lightning strikes
On the morning of June 30, 1652, when the relics were brought from Euskirchen to Bad Münstereifel, the Jesuit Heerde celebrated a mass in St. Martin’s Church in Euskirchen. During the prayers there was a thunderstorm and lightning struck the altar, which immediately caught fire. The priest suffered serious burns. According to legend, he immediately called on Donatus, despite the unbearable pain. The Jesuit Heerde reportedly healed miraculously and was able to travel with the relics to Bad Münstereifel. It was mainly this alleged miracle that was the basis of the great veneration of Donatus in the northern regions, such as in Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.
Solemn entry
During the solemn entry of Donatus’ relics into Bad Münstereifel, the procession initially walked in the pouring rain. The weather reportedly changed miraculously. It suddenly became a bright summer day, the sun was shining, the clouds parted like the waves of the Biblical Red Sea. The contrast was so striking that people spoke of a miracle. It was another event that strengthened the belief and veneration of Donatus as the patron saint against thunderstorms.
Churches and chapels dedicated to Donatus
Particularly in the Rhineland, but also in the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg, many churches and chapels are dedicated to Donatus van Münstereifel. Some of these are:
- Jesuit Church of St. Donatus, Bad Münstereifel (Germany).
- St. Donatus Church, Zadar (Croatia).
- Chapel in Heist-op-den-Berg, Hallaar (Belgium).
- St. Donatus Church, Dongjum (Friesland).
- Chapel in Hushoven, Weert (Limburg).
- St. Donatus Church, Bemmel (Veluwe).
Maastricht, Treasury of Our Lady Basilica, reliquary HH Laurentius & Donatus / Source: Kleon3, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA-4.0)
Places of pilgrimage
Places of pilgrimage are of course the Jesuit church in Bad Münstereifel, where the relics of Donatus are located. Other important places include:
- St. Martin’s Church in Euskichen (Germany).
- Padua Church, Loosbroek (North Brabant).
- Saint Severinus Church, Hapert (North Brabant).
- Church of Saint Anthony Abbot and Saint Donatus, Reek (North Brabant). The oldest Donatus pilgrimage site in the Netherlands.
Attributes and iconography
June 30 is the feast day or memorial day of Donatus of Münstereifel, the day that the relics were buried in the Jesuit church in Bad Münstereifel. Most images and statues portray Donatus as a Roman legionary, sometimes with a (ruddy) beard, but always in a Roman army uniform and with a lightning bolt (or a bundle of lightning bolts) in one or both hands. In addition, the bundle of grain, the vine and a martyr’s palm are commonly used attributes.
Shooting associations Thunderbolts are also directly related to traffic accidents (sudden death) in the worship tradition. In many places Donatus van Münstereifel is invoked during vehicle blessings, such as in Helenaveen (North Brabant). In addition, many Dutch and Belgian shooting clubs are named after him.
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