Dionysius, Saint

DIONIGI, saint. - He was bishop of Milan in 355 when the emperor Constantius convened the Council there at the suggestion of Pope Liberius. It seems that at first D. subscribed to the condemnation of St Athanasius, but later recanted, following the intervention of Eusebius of Vercelli. When a tumult broke out among the people attending the Council, in protest against the violence of the Arian bishops, D. worked to restore calm among the faithful who remained in the church while the conciliar fathers moved to the imperial palace. After the Council, D., together with Lucifer of Cagliari and Eusebius of Vercelli, was condemned to exile. Deported to Armenia, he died before 362. In 376 St Ambrose requested and obtained his body, which was transferred to Milan and buried in the church that took its name from him. He is commemorated on 25 May in the Hieronymian Martyrology, but it is not known whether this was the day of his death or of the translation.