What do you know about Saint Valentine? According to Maddie Gorrie,”he was killed and executed for doing what he believed in.” However, the Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred. There are multiple legends in which the Catholics go by; here’s a few.

One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine’s actions were discovered, Claudius ordered he be put to death.

There are also other stories which suggest Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons, where they were often beaten and tortured.

According to the legend an imprisoned Valentine actually sent the first “Valentine” by greeting himself after he fell in love with his jailer’s daughter, who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it was alleged he wrote a letter signed “From your Valentine,” an expression still used today. Although the truth behind Valentine legends is musky, the stories all emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic, and romantic figure. Maddie said,  “I went to Disneyland for Valentines Day.” All thanks to Saint Valentine and his reputation for your romantic evening with you significant other.

Gisselle Guerrero