IslanderView Digital Magazine FEBRUARY 2018 | Page 2

es of both Christian and ancient Roman tra-
dition. But who was Saint Valentine? The
Catholic Church recognizes at three different
saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of
whom were martyred. One legend contends
that Valentine was a priest who served dur-
ing the third century in Rome. When Em-
peror Claudius II decided that single men
made better soldiers than those with wives
and families, he outlawed marriage for
young men. Valentine, realizing the injus-
tice of the decree, defied Claudius and con-
tinued to perform marriages for young lov-
ers in secret. When Valentine’s actions were
discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put
to death.
Learn more about Saint Valentine’s story,
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