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Sunday, January 27, 2019, 12:00 PMLocation: St Lambert Parish ChurchWho is St. Sebastian?A member of an elite unit of the Imperial Roman army, a Praetorian Guard, serving as personal bodyguard of the Roman emperor Diocletian in around 280 AD when Christians are persecuted. Imprisoned for refusing to make public sacrifices to the Roman gods, he was discovered as a Christian when he converted other prisoners. The emperor ordered him killed, tied to a stake and used as target practice for archers, he was left to die in he training field. St. Irene discovered him barely alive, stole his body, hid him and nursed him back to health. Once well, he managed to catch emperor Diocletian in public and began to criticize him for his persecution of the Christians.This time he was beaten to death by he emperor's guards.
St. Sebastian is know as a Saint with arrows shot into his body, often tied to a post or a tree. His second execution is rarely depicted.