Sts. Cosmas and Damian

Today the Church honors two martyrs of the early Church: Sts. Cosmas and Damian. What we do know is that they were twins and also physicians who worked at no cost and were called the silverless. They were persecuted under Diocletian and eventually gave their lives for the faith in the year 287 AD. Their three brothers were also martyred along with them. Pope Felix IV (reigned from 526-530) erected a church in Rome in their memory and it still stands today.

A few years ago I had the opportunity to go to Rome for two weeks. Each day I would go walking in the city and would more or less wander around. One day while I was wandering through the Roman forum, I came across a few things I did not expect to find. One was the prison where Sts. Peter and Paul were imprisoned at. The other was the church dedicated to Sts. Cosmas and Damian. I went in and I prayed for a little bit, took a few pictures, and was one my merry way. That day was probably one of my favorite days spent in Rome because there were not a whole lot of people around because it was off the beaten path and I had time to pray for their intercession as I continued my journey in the eternal city.