Montan je bio učenik sv.
Ciprijana. Umro je u
Kartagi godine 259. zajedno s drugovima koji su se
zvali: Lucije, Flavijan, Julijan, Viktorik,
Primolus, Renus, Donacijan.
Montan bi značilo Goran
Saints Montanus, Lucius, Flavian,
Julian, Victoricus, Primolus, Rhenus, and Donation,
martyrs at Carthage, 259.
Emperor Valerian tortured and
punished the Christians during the days of the early
Church. He had allowed a Roman officer to put St.
Cyprian to death in September 258.
The Roman officer himself died soon
after and the new official, Solon, was nearly killed
by some rebels. He suspected that they tried to kill
him in revenge for the death of St. Cyprian and
arrested eight innocent people.
They were all Christians; mostly
deacons, priests and bishops. Each of them had been
a devoted follower of St. Cyprian. These Christians
were taken down into dark dungeons where they found
others whom they knew.
These deep dungeons were dirty and
damp and the high walls surrounded the group. They
realized that they would soon be put to death. The
Christians were kept many months in the prison.
They were made to work during the day
and were often kept without food and water for no
reason. The cruel treatment, made these Christians
grow close together and they helped one another bear
their sufferings. The ordinary people protected the
bishops, priests and deacons at whom the emperor’s
cruelty was specially aimed at.
When the Christians were finally
called to the place of execution, each was allowed
to speak. Montanus, who was tall and strong, spoke
bravely to the entire Christian crowd. He told them
to be true to Jesus and to die rather than give up
the faith.
Lucius, who was small and in poor
health, walked quietly to the place where he was to
die. He was weak from the hard months in prison. In
fact, he had to lean on two friends who helped him
to the place where the executioner waited. The
people who watched asked him to remember them when
he went to heaven.
As each of the Christians were
beheaded one after another, the Christians who
watched became braver and stronger. They wept for
those who suffered such injustice. But they were
also filled with joy when they realized that these
martyrs would bless them from heaven.
Montanus, Lucius and their companions
willingly died for their faith in Jesus in 259.