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{{Short description|Hispanic Christian bishop and saint (died 259)}}
{{redirect|Saint Fructuosus|for another saint|Fructuosus of Braga}}
{{Infobox saint
|name=Saint Fructuosus of Tarragona
|birth_date=unknown
|death_date=259
|feast_day=January 21
|venerated_in=[[Catholic Church]], [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Orthodox Church]], [[Lutheranism|Lutheran Church]], [[Anglican Communion]]
|image=Fructuosus.JPG
|imagesize=200px
|caption=Detail of a [[Romanesque art|Romanesque]] mural of Saint Fructuosus at Bierge, [[Huesca]]
|birth_place=
|death_place=
|titles=Bishop and Martyr
|beatified_date=
|beatified_place=
|beatified_by=
|canonized_date=
|canonized_place=
|canonized_by=
|attributes=
|patronage= those undertaking a [[Fasting in religion#Christianity|fast]]
|major_shrine=
|suppressed_date=
|issues=
}}
'''Saint Fructuosus of Tarragona''' ({{Langx|es|San Fructuoso}}, {{langx|ca|Sant Fructuós}}, died 259) was a [[Christian saint]], [[bishop]] and [[martyr]].  His is an important name in the early history of Christianity in [[Hispania]].  He was bishop of [[Tarragona]] and was arrested during the persecutions of Christians under the [[Roman Emperor]] [[Valerian (emperor)|Valerian]] (reigned 253&nbsp;– 260).  Along with him were two deacons, '''[[Augurius of Tarragona|St. Augurius]]''' and '''St. Eulogius'''.  In 259, he was questioned by the ''[[praeses]]'' Aemilianus and burned at the stake in [[Tarragona Amphitheatre|the local amphitheatre]] in [[Tarraco]].  The ''[[wiktionary:acta|Acta]]'' of the martyrdom of the bishop Fructuosus and his deacons Augurius and Eulogius document his legend; they are the earliest Hispanic ''Acta'', "marked by a realistic simplicity which contrasts very favourably with many of the Acta of Diocletian's persecution".<ref>[http://www.ccel.org/ccel/wace/biodict.v.vi.xxv.html Henry Wace, ''A  Dictionary of Christian Biography and Literature'': ''s.v.'' "Fructuosus"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070312022506/http://www.ccel.org/ccel/wace/biodict.v.vi.xxv.html |date=2007-03-12 }}</ref>
==''Acta''==
[[File:031 Església de Sant Fruitós de Castellterçol.JPG|thumb|Statue of Saint Fructuosus in Catalonia]]
The text documents the following details. St. Fructuosus, and his deacons were just going to bed when they were arrested. They were examined, at which point they affirmed their belief in the God of Christianity. Fructuosus was asked if he was the bishop; after he responded he was, the examiner memorably replied "{{lang|la|Fuisti}}" ("You were").  They were then sentenced to be burnt.
The 18th-century hagiographer [[Alban Butler]] wrote that while he was being led to his execution "on a Friday at ten o'clock in the morning, [he] refused to drink because it was not the hour [after sunset] to break the fast of the day, though fatigued with imprisonment, and standing in need of strength".<ref>{{cite book |last1=Butler |first1=Alban |title=The Moveable Feasts, Fasts, and Other Annual Observances of the Catholic Church|date=1839 |publisher=James Duffy |page=155 |language=en}}</ref>
[[File:MartirioFructuoso.JPG|thumb|left|St. Fructuous, Augurius and Eulogius' martyrdom at Tarragona]]
Officers were posted to prevent any sort of disturbance breaking out. They were not completely successful, though, and near the gate of the amphitheatre some of the Christians were able to get close to Fructuosus, and one of them asked him for his prayers. St. Fructuosus replied, in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear, "I am bound to bear in mind the whole universal Church from east to west." He then added some words of consolation and encouragement to the assembled. As the flames rose and enveloped the martyrs, they stretched out their arms, praying to their God until they died.
His ''Acta'' are referred to in a hymn by [[Prudentius]] and praised and extensively quoted by [[Augustine of Hippo]]. The historical [[Archdiocese of Tarragona|list of the bishops of Tarragona]], therefore, begins with Fructuosus.
St. Fructuosus' [[feast day]] is January 21.
[[San Fruttuoso abbey]] on the [[Italian Riviera]] is dedicated to St. Fructuosus.
==References==
{{Reflist}}
*Attwater, Donald, and Catherine Rachel John. ''The Penguin Dictionary of Saints''. 3rd edition. New York: Penguin Books, 1993. {{ISBN|0-14-051312-4}}.
==External links==
{{Commons category|Fructuosus of Tarragona}}
* [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06311b.htm Catholic Encyclopedia: ''St. Fructuosus'']
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20071024021333/http://www.saintpatrickdc.org/ss/0121.shtml Saint of the Day, January 21]
*[http://www.ccel.org/ccel/wace/biodict.html?term=Fructuosus%20(1)%20M.,%20bp.%20of%20Tarragona Henry Wace, ''A  Dictionary of Christian Biography and Literature'': "Fructuosus"]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20081106021000/http://www.deacons.net/Deacons_before_us/augurius.html "Sts. Fructuosus, Augurius and Eulogius&nbsp;&ndash; A Bishop and His Two Deacons, Martyrs"]: excerpts of Prudentius' hymn
*[https://archive.org/stream/ButlersLivesOfTheSaintsCompleteEdition?ui=embed#page/n168/mode/1up ''Butler's Lives of the Saints: St. Fructuosus, Bishop of Tarragona, Martyr, pg. 137'']
*{{cite web |title=St. Fructuosis of Tarragona, Spain |url=https://oca.org/saints/lives/2008/01/21/149029-st-fructuosis-of-tarragona-spain |publisher=[[Orthodox Church in America]]}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:259 deaths]]
[[Category:Catalan saints]]
[[Category:Saints from Hispania]]
[[Category:3rd-century bishops in Hispania]]
[[Category:3rd-century Christian martyrs]]
[[Category:Year of birth unknown]]