Saint Maurice: The First Black Patron Saint

Saint Maurice (also Moritz, Morris, or Mauritius) was the leader of the legendary Roman Theban Legion in the 3rd century, and one of the favorite and most widely venerated saints of that group. He was the patron saint of several professions, locales, and kingdoms. He is also a highly revered saint in the Oriental Orthodox churches.

Maurice was born in AD 250 in Thebes, an ancient city in Egypt near the site of the Aswan Dam. He was brought up in the region of Thebes (Luxor—Egypt) and became a soldier in the Roman army. He was gradually promoted until he became the leader of the Theban legion, formed of 6600 soldiers. Maurice was an acknowledged Christian at a time when the Church was considered to be a threat to the Roman Empire. He was martyred in what is today Switzerland for refusing to massacre Christians for the Roman Empire.

"The oldest surviving" image that depicts Saint Maurice as a Black African in knight's armour was sculpted in mid 13th century for the Cathedral of Magdeburg; there it is displayed next to the grave of Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor. Jean Devisse, The Image of the Black in Western Art, laid out the documentary sources for the saint's popularity and documented it with illustrative examples. When the new cathedral was built under Archbishop Albert II of Käfernberg (served 1205-32), the relic was said to be the head of Maurice was procured from the Holy Land.

Holy Trinity Column-Saint Maurice

The coat of arms of the Brotherhood of Blackheads, featuring Saint Maurice.




A statue of Saint Maurice, located in Soultz-Haut-Rhin, France.






"The Martyrdom of Saint Maurice" by Romulo Cincinato. 1583. Oil on canvas, 540 x 288 cm, Monasterio de San Lorenzo, El Escorial, Spain. Cincinnato placed stronger emphasis on the execution scene, which has been brought into the foreground.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Maurice