The Feast of Saint Sebastian: Patron of The Good News Blog

Today — January 20th

The Feast of Saint Sebastian

Patron of The Good News Blog

"Use your unstoppable energy not to punish, but only to humble those who dedicate themselves to oppression."

Today is a foundational day for our community. On this January 20th, we celebrate the feast of our patron, Saint Sebastian. In the liturgical calendar, his day is marked with the color Red—the color of fire, the color of blood, and the color of an unyielding heart.

Why Sebastian?
At The Good News Blog, we chose Sebastian as our patron because he represents the "double martyrdom" of the modern soul. He survived the arrows only to stand back up and speak truth to power. He is the saint of those who refuse to stay down, those who find beauty in their wounds, and those who protect the vulnerable from the "plagues" of our time.

Today, we don’t just look back at a martyr from 288 AD. we look at the Sebastian who stands with us now. We see him in the AIDS activist, the trans youth standing tall, and the queer person seeking a home in a Church that once shot the arrows.

To our readers: Whether you are an athlete, a soldier, an artist, or an outcast—Sebastian is your shield today. We celebrate the "sanctity of penetration"—the idea that even when the world pierces us, it cannot destroy the divine light within.

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Historical & Artistic Context

The following research and commentary on Saint Sebastian is provided by Kittredge Cherry, originally published on Qspirit.net.

Saint Sebastian has been called history’s first gay icon and the patron saint of homosexuality. He was an early Christian martyr killed in 288 in Rome. He is the subject of countless artworks that show him as a near-naked youth writhing as he is shot with arrows. The homoeroticism is obvious, and while nothing is known about Sebastian’s love life, his popularity with gay men is based on the sensuality of his portrayals and his resilience under attack.

Sebastian is recognized as a protector against plague, which added to his appeal for the LGBTQ community during the AIDS pandemic. Renaissance artists including Bernini, Botticelli, Caravaggio, and El Greco all sought to capture his unique blend of beauty and suffering. Modern artists continue this tradition, from the drag performances of Holly James Johnston to the "Transmasc Saint Sebastian" icons by Dani Jimenez.

Source & Thanks: Paraphrased and adapted from the work of Kittredge Cherry at Qspirit.net. We give thanks for her vital work in highlighting queer saints and LGBTQ religious history.