Concord, Saint

Concord, Saint a priest and martyr, lived about 170. He was son of Gordianus, a Roman priest of great piety. The persecution of Christians under Marcus Aurelius obliged him to withdraw into retirement. The report of miracles which he accomplished soon made him known. Torquatus, governor of Spoleto, made strenuous efforts to cause him to abjure the Christian faith, but Concord remained resolute. After cruelly torturing him, he threw him into a dungeon. Three days later he was offered the choice of worshipping an idol or giving up his life. Scorning the idol, one of the soldiers cut off his head. He is honored on January 1, and the anniversary of his removal is celebrated July 4. The Spanish clergy claim to have the remains of this saint in a monastery of Gerona, Catalonia. See Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Generale, s.v.