Saint Saturninus of Abitinae

Saint Saturninus was the elderly Christian presbyter of Abitinae. Defying imperial edicts prohibiting all Christian gatherings, Saturninus and 48 faithful gathered in the private home of reader Emeritus to celebrate the Eucharist.

Arrested by Roman soldiers and marched in iron chains to Carthage, Saturninus and his four children faced the interrogation of Proconsul Anullinus. When asked why they had broken imperial law, they voiced the timeless principle of religious liberty: 'Sine dominico non possumus'—Without the Lord's supper, we cannot live. They were cast into a dark Carthage cell without food or water until all expired.