Sabinus and Certesius
Acta Sanctorum, May 10
Source text: Public Domain. English translation/apparatus/encoding: CC BY-NC 4.0, Wroot Press.
https://actasanctorum.org/may/day-10/sabinus-and-certesius.html
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ON SS. SABINUS AND CERTESIUS,
ROMAN MARTYRS TRANSLATED INTO CASTILE.

[Commentary]

Sabinus, Roman Martyr, near Pastrana in Castile (St.)

Certesius, Roman Martyr, near Pastrana in Castile (St.)

Contemplation & solitude always have been
the end & spirit of the Order of the Carmelites: [Of the Eremitic among the Discalced convents]
& therefore from its origin, cenobia in
deserts & places from the cities' tumult removed
founded were even to Innocent
IV's times, who them in the very cities (that their
Religious together with the rest of the Mendicants to the neighbors'
salvation their work to expend they could)
to found kindly granted. But the Order being reformed by the great
heroine & Seraphic mother Teresa, the firstborn
of so great a Parent sons, that the primitive spirit
might revive & be fostered in the restored Carmel, determined,
that in every single province one Convent should be
eremitic in the midst of the woods, rocks among & caves
built, [the form,] after the manner of the Lauras, once by SS.
Sabas, Euthymius & others in Palestine constructed,
whose circuit by a wall enclosed to one or another
league & more should be extended; in whose middle a convent
with a church, the little cells from each other by a little garden separated,
as in the Carthusians' cenobia is seen: but
besides those little cells, a convent in the Church's circuit,
with a refectory, kitchen & other workshops necessary
forming; other are built little cells with little chapels,
here & there among the grove's shades, in valleys or
on rocks pathless, within however the wall's circuit, to which
in the time of Lent, [the discipline,] of Advent, & at other more holy
of the year times some from the convent withdraw,
there for God alone about to be free, & on vegetables alone,
& other of the earth fruits raw or cooked, or with oil
or vinegar macerated, the whole of that retreat time
about to live: which completed to the conventual cells they return.
This moreover in convent much than in other
convents more rigorously is lived. No have there
the Religious acts common, besides the choir's & refectory's:
the rest of the time to contemplation & psalmody
in the church they are free; or to the hands' labor in the little cells.
A perpetual there silence is kept. To this Convent
none are sent, except who shall have asked, & it
with repeated prayers shall have obtained: nor it to the younger easily
is granted, but everywhere to preachers, confessors,
& others in external of charity toward the neighbor
works continually occupied, that the spirit strength may take,
& to their own progress may be free; completed there
a year, to the intermitted of this recollection for the grace charity
works about to return stronger & more fervent.

[2] [& the origin.] Of these eremitic convents in the Teresian
Carmel the institutor was, together with the VV. PP. Alphonso
of Jesus Mary & Bartholomew of S. Basil,
V. P. Thomas of Jesus a Spaniard, of the Carmelites Discalced
in Belgium the founder; where also a convent
eremitic of S. Joseph, in the wood of Marlanne near Namur,
by the Most Serene of the Belgians Princes Austrian,
Albert & Isabella, Philip III of the Spains
King consenting & approving, [Of these the first of Bolarque so called.] to be founded took care
in the year 1619. But the first of this kind of eremitic
institute convent he founded in Castile new
at the Tagus, not far from the City of Pastrana, in
the wood & mountains of Bolarque, from which this Convent
a name received, & commonly is called the Eremus of
Bolarque: in which of the eremitic life the exercises to be done began
in the year 1592 on the day XVI of August, in a little oratory
of trees' branches constructed under the invocation of S.
John the Baptist. The Angelic life, which there by the Hermit-dwellers
Carmelites Discalced was led, so all,
either who it before their eyes beheld, or absent
by others' report with their ears received, to devotion
toward the said hermitage kindled, that everywhere Kings & 
Princes, both secular & ecclesiastical, most ample
for constructing the convent of their own accord alms
conferred; & to themselves a grace & benefit to be afforded
even the greatest judged, if of some little cell
conventual, or of some hermitorium separated from the convent
the founders to be they merited. [The Card. Albornoz] Among whom is eminent
the Most Eminent Lord Cardinal Albornoz,
who from Rome itself with many sought prayers, that to himself
in this hermitage to found it might be lawful a cell eremitic within
the wall's circuit, under the invocation of S. Michael the Archangel:
which also to him graciously was granted. In whose
favor's gratitude, two of the holy Martyrs
bodies, by himself from the cemetery of S. Cyriaca outside
the walls of the city Roman with a special faculty of the supreme
Pontiff Innocent X extracted, to this eremitic
convent as a gift sent, with the following Epistle, in Spanish
written idiom, which here I subjoin in Latin
rendered.

[3] [he sends two bodies of Martyrs,] Since hitherto I have neglected to fulfill
that my obligation, I would not permit that without
this my epistle there go away P. Fr. Francis of S.
Anastasius, the office of Procurator general having discharged,
by whom the hands I may kiss of your Paternity, & of all
the Fathers of that convent & hermitage. This setting-out
this I him nearly envy: for I desired
myself to those holy places to go, & to be the bearer of the two
holy bodies, which in their of ebony cases
shut with authentic documents I send to that convent:
where I wish & desire that they remain always: & therefore
this very thing I write to the P. General that to be done he may command,
& also your Paternity I supplicate that the same he take care,
in what manner about to do I believe. For on that only
condition them I destine to that holy house.
Greatly I rejoice that our P. General has wished to me
to be sent the measure of the tablet, of which capable is the altar in the hermitorium
of S. Michael, that it here to be made I may take care by
the best whom I shall find painter; [& a daily Mass he founds.] & within a brief
time thither also about to send myself I trust of money
a sum, for this necessary that hermitorium that
have a dowry of a hundred ducats yearly, for whose cause
the hermit who the place shall inhabit be obliged daily to sacrifice
to my intention. But that my name,
to the eyes of those entering exposed them may admonish
for me to pray not only the present but also future,
therefore, not indeed of any vanity for the cause, I have supplicated
the P. General & the same I ask of your Reverence,
that there be placed above the door a title, by which it be understood
that I am he who there a daily Mass founded,
& who sent two of the Saints bodies to that holy
house: of whose dwellers single & to your Paternity
the hands I kiss, asking all, that me they commend
to God, who you for many years preserve. At Rome
the VIII of March in the year 1647. Adds then with his
hand own the Most Eminent: Those two bodies are
of S. Sabinus & S. Certesius the Martyrs.
The servant of your Paternity
the Cardinal De Albornoz.

[4] That epistle, & together of the holy Martyrs
the bodies happily to Madrid came, [are received they religiously in the year 1647] & thence to the hermitage
of Bolarca under the beginning of December of the same
year 1647, leading them R.P. Antonius of the Cross,
of the same hermitage Prior, & from the village of Sayaton
the Parish-priest, the Bailiff, & some other devout persons
of the same place accompanying. The Hermit-dwellers to meet
the sacred bodies even to the lower gate of the Enclosure
came: where with knees bent for some space
in prayer prostrate, with the greatest of mind devotion
& exultation to the new of the hermitage dwellers now now about to be
a happy coming wishing, them religiously, the hymn
Te Deum laudamus singing, to the church
led; & there laid them up even to
the tenth day of May (which was a Sunday) of the following year
that is 1648, on which their translation's
festivity solemnly was celebrated. Which that more solemn
might be there came R. P. the Provincial P. Gaspar of S.
Joseph, [& the translation is celebrated in the year 1648.] with some of the neighboring Convents'
Priors. A Mass solemn by them sung, & other
divine Offices duly completed, replaced were SS.
the Martyrs Sabinus & Certesius the boys' bodies, on this & 
on that of the sides of the highest altar, in urns of ebony
made & transparent (so that the sacred bones to be seen
can) with glasses crystalline adorned, & by the very Most Eminent
D. Cardinal from Rome transmitted. Burning
were to the Hermit-dwellers coals those of SS. the Martyrs bones;
greatly indeed of their devotion the ardor
they kindled, especially of S. Certesius of so small an age
a little boy: scarcely indeed the eighth of age year he had completed,
as from the head & other of the body little bones, & also
& by the teeth (which never to have changed he seems) it can be conjectured.

[5] Of these Saints the bodies received the abovesaid
Cardinal Albornoz, [the blood of S. Sabinus given to the Hermitage of Batuecas.] & sent with two
ampullae, of the same with blood filled: but R.P. John
Baptist, the General of the Congregation Spanish,
the ampulla of the blood of S. Sabinus the Martyr sent to the convent
eremitic of los Batuecas in old Castile,
where in great price & honor it is held. The aforesaid
moreover of the Saints' bodies Translation, every year
on the day X of May devoutly by those Hermit-dwellers Carmelites
Discalced is recalled. Hitherto the relation, communicated
by R.P. Joseph Ignatius of S. Antonius from Topraches of
Rebec, then of the Province Gallobelgic of the Carmelites Discalced
Procurator at Brussels: to which what to be added greatly
should I desire? For the things which to be desired perhaps here could testimonies
to make of the finding faith, since altogether similar
to others a little before brought forth & oftener elsewhere proposed they are, without
inconvenience hence to be absent they seem.
