Precursor of Christ. The son of Zachary and Elizabeth, the details of his miraculous life are related in Luke 1. After spending his youth in the desert, at the age of 30 he reappeared in Judea, near the Jordan (Luke 3), preaching penance and predicting that the Kingdom of God was at hand (Luke 3; Matthew 3). He baptized Our Lord in the Jordan (Matthew 3). Publicly censoring Herod Antipas for having taken to himself Herodias, the wife of his brother, Philip, he was imprisoned and beheaded at the request of the dancing daughter of Herodias (Mark 6). Patron of farriers. Emblems: a lamb, head cut off on a platter, a skin or an animal. Relics in Saint Sylvester's church in Rome and at Amiens, France. Feast, Roman Calendar, of nativity, June 24,; of decollation, August 29,.
This dictionary contains not only definitions and explanations of every subject in Religion, Scripture, tradition, doctrine, morals, sacraments, rites, customs, devotions and symbolism, but also accounts of the Church in every continent, country, diocese; missions, notable Catholic centers, cities, and places with religious names; religious orders, church societies, sects and false religions. It has brief articles also on historical events and personages, on the Old Testament and New, and on popes, prelates, priests, men and women of distinction, showing what the Church has done for civilization and correcting many errors which have hitherto passed for history.Wikipedia
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