Quirinus of Sescia

Quirinus (died 309 AD) is venerated as an early bishop of Sescia, now Sisak in Croatia. He is mentioned by Eusebius of Caesarea.

A Passio, considered unreliable, states that Quirinus was killed during the persecutions of Diocletian after being arrested in 309. Quirinus had attempted to flee but was imprisoned. He managed to convert his jailer, named Marcellus, to Christianity. After three days, the governor of Pannonia Prima, Amantius, ordered him taken to Sabaria (present-day Szombathely, Hungary), where after attempting to make Quirinus abjure his faith, he had the bishop thrown into the local Gyöngyös River with a millstone around his neck.

Veneration

Local Christians of Savaria recovered his body and buried it near the gate known as the "Scarabateus" (likely at Sopron).

The relics in Tivoli were reportedly moved to Apennine Peninsula during the invasion of the Huns.

Quirinus became considered one of the national protectors of the Republic of San Marino after a dense fog attributed to him by the Sammarinese on his feast day of June 4, 1543, thwarted an attempted conquest of the country by Fabiano di Monte San Savino, nephew of the later Pope Julius III. The Franciscan Capuchin Church of San Quirino was subsequently built in the capital of San Marino around 1550.

A church is dedicated to him at Jesenovik, Croatia. His feast is observed on 4 June.