Saint Valentine: A Revolutionary Love Story for Our Times

How a 3rd-Century Priest Became an Unlikely Champion of Marriage Equality

💕 Valentine's Day 2026 💕

When we think of Saint Valentine, we often picture heart-shaped cards, chocolate boxes, and romantic dinners. But the true story of this 3rd-century Roman priest reveals something far more radical: a man who defied unjust laws to celebrate love in all its forms.

The Original Outlaw of Love

Saint Valentine lived during a time when the Roman Emperor Claudius II believed that unmarried men made better soldiers. His solution? Outlaw marriage entirely. But Valentine refused to accept this cruel decree. In secret, he continued to perform wedding ceremonies for couples forbidden to marry, risking everything to honor the sacred bond of love.

His crime? Believing that love transcends human law.

His punishment? Arrest and execution.

His legacy? A feast day celebrated worldwide as a testament to love's enduring power.

Legend tells us that while imprisoned, Valentine fell in love with a woman who visited him. He sent her a letter signed "From your Valentine" — the first Valentine's card in history, written by a man awaiting death for defending love.

A Saint for Modern Times

Today, Saint Valentine's story resonates powerfully with those fighting for marriage equality. While he wasn't performing same-sex weddings, his willingness to defy restrictive marriage laws makes him an unexpected patron saint for LGBTQ+ rights and all who believe that love should not be constrained by discriminatory legislation.

Throughout history, brave clergy have followed in Valentine's footsteps. Troy Perry performed what may have been the first modern same-sex wedding in 1969. Presbyterian minister Jane Spahr faced censure in 2012 for marrying 16 same-sex couples. Like Valentine before them, they chose love over law, conscience over convention.

"For the right joining in marriage is the work of the Lord only, and not the priests' or the magistrates'; for it is God's ordinance and not man's."
— George Fox, founder of the Quakers, 1669

The Church's Complicated Relationship with Valentine

Interestingly, there are at least 12 saints named Valentine, and their stories overlap in ways that are difficult to verify. In 1969, the Roman Catholic Church removed Saint Valentine from its general calendar, though local celebrations continue. He is still commemorated in Anglican, Lutheran, and Orthodox traditions — and his relics are enshrined across Europe, including on the Greek island of Lesbos.

The irony is profound: Valentine performed weddings for persecuted Christians in his time. Today, some conservative Christians oppose marriage equality, persecuting LGBTQ+ people in Valentine's name. But the saint's true legacy calls us to something higher — to honor love wherever it is found, regardless of who is doing the loving.

❤️ 💕 ❤️

A Prayer for Valentine's Day

Dear Saint Valentine,
help everyone to find and keep
their true God-appointed love.
Guide the church to affirm and bless
all those whom God has joined together,
regardless of their sexual orientation
or gender identity.
Saint Valentine, pray for us.

Touch hearts so that ignorance and prejudice
of the church and the institutions it influences
do not continue to generate hate crimes and violence
against people who only want to love each other.
Inspire lawmakers and leaders to remove laws
that prevent us from getting married and accessing our rights.

Thank you for blessing us with the rainbow, a divine sign,
and for praying that we can live in full dignity.
Saint Valentine, pray for us. Amen.

Love Knows No Boundaries

Church history is rich with examples of same-sex love and devotion: Sergius and Bacchus, ancient Roman soldiers and lovers; Brigid and Darlughdach, whose souls were intertwined; Perpetua and Felicity, friends to the end. These stories remind us that love — in all its beautiful diversity — has always been part of the human and divine experience.

This Valentine's Day, let us remember the true spirit of Saint Valentine: a revolutionary who believed that love is sacred, that it cannot be legislated away, and that those who honor it — even at great personal cost — are doing God's work.

Source: This article draws from research by Kittredge Cherry, originally published at Q Spirit. For the full article and additional resources on LGBTQ+ saints and Christian history, visit: https://qspirit.net/saint-valentine-marriage-equality/

Happy Valentine's Day

May we all have the courage to love boldly, to stand for justice, and to honor the sacred bonds that unite us — just as Saint Valentine did so many centuries ago.