St. Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr

Patron of Libraries

The esteem in which the Church holds Lawrence is seen in the fact that his celebration ranks as a feast. We know very little about his life. He is one of those whose martyrdom made a deep and lasting impression on the early Church. Celebration of his feast day spread rapidly.

He was a Roman deacon under Pope St. Sixtus II. Four days after this pope was put to death, Lawrence and four clerics suffered martyrdom, probably during the persecution of the Emperor Valerian.

A well-known legend has persisted from earliest times. As deacon in Rome, Lawrence was charged with the responsibility for the material goods of the Church, and the distribution of alms to the poor. When Lawrence knew he would be arrested like the pope, he sought out the poor, widows and orphans of Rome and gave them all the money he had on hand, selling even the sacred vessels to increase the sum. When the prefect of Rome heard of this, he imagined that the Christians must have considerable treasure. He sent for Lawrence and said, “You Christians say we are cruel to you, but that is not what I have in mind. I am told that your priests offer in gold, that the sacred blood is received in silver cups, that you have golden candlesticks at your evening services. Now, your doctrine says you must render to Caesar what is his. Bring these treasures—the emperor needs them to maintain his forces. God does not cause money to be counted: He brought none of it into the world with him—only words. Give me the money, therefore, and be rich in words.”

Lawrence replied that the Church was indeed rich. “I will show you a valuable part. But give me time to set everything in order and make an inventory.” After three days he gathered a great number of blind, lame, maimed, leprous, orphaned and widowed persons and put them in rows. When the prefect arrived, Lawrence simply said, “These are the treasure of the Church.”

The prefect was so angry he told Lawrence that he would indeed have his wish to die—but it would be by inches. He had a great gridiron prepared, with coals beneath it, and had Lawrence’s body placed on it. After the martyr had suffered the pain for a long time, the legend concludes, he made his famous cheerful remark, “It is well done. Turn it over and eat it!”

The church built over Lawrence’s tomb became one of the seven principal churches in Rome and a favorite place for Roman pilgrimages.  Saint of the Day (5th Revised Edition) Lives, Lessons and Feasts Leonard Foley, O.F.M., Revised by Pat McCloskey, O.F.M.

Donate A Book

Donate a book to Holy Family Catholic School Library in honor of your child’s special day.  A personalized book plate inside the donated book will commemorate the occasion, be it a birthday, First Communion or graduation.  For years to come children at Holy Family Catholic School and their parents will think of your child when they read that book. 

Now, amazon.com makes donating the perfect book a breeze. Holy Family’s “wish list” of the books the Library needs most is now on line at amazon.com.  You can browse through the wish list, choose a book and pay on line.  Amazon.com will ship your purchase directly to Holy Family Catholic School.  You are always welcome to select a family favorite for donation in person, too. 

To order from the “wish list” on amazon.com, just follow these simple steps: 

1.     Go to www.amazon.com.

2.     Go to the “Your lists” scroll-down menu and click on “Wish List.”

3.     Enter “Holy Family School Dale City” in the box labeled “Find  Someone’s Wish List.”

 
4.     Click “Go.”

5.     Select a book or books and add them to your cart.

6.     Proceed to checkout.

7.     At the bottom of the “Choose Your Shipping options” page, check the box under “Does your order contain gift items?”

Each item shipping directly from amazon.com* will then present a box for your gift message.  In this box, indicate your child’s name and special occasion as you         would like it to appear on the book plate. 

*   Some books on the wish list, such as out-of-print collectible used books, may be shipped from a third-party seller.  In this instance you will not be able to include a gift message in your transaction.  You can still have these items shipped directly to Holy Family Catholic School Library, but please remember to send an e-mail to the Office at office@hfccdc.com letting us know which book you are sending and the person and occasion you would like mentioned in the book plate.