Help with identifying a relic

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BusterMartin

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Hello! I’m trying to identify a relic. The label reads “Os. S. Novati M.” I’m aware that the Os. means bone, the S. means saint, and the M. means martyr. However, I can’t find a saint Novati (or some derivation of that name) who is also a martyr. Can someone please help me figure out whose relic this is? Thank you!
 
I think, and I’m not sure, but doesn’t novati come from a similar Latin root word as novitiate…so maybe that’s not a proper name but it was from a religious order novitiate that was martyred?
 
I suppose that’s possible. The reason I assume that’s not the case is that this relic’s theca has another relic in it that isn’t from a religious order. So, I’m going to assume it’s some saint’s specific name. There is Saint Novatus, but I can’t find that he was a martyr - only a confessor.
 
It could still be a relic of his. Not all relics are of martyrs.
 
Agreed - but this one has the “M” on it indicating he/she was a martyr, so it can’t be Saint Novatus.
 
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No problem - thanks for chiming in! I appreciate the help!
 
I’m pretty sure it’s St. Novatus, and the “M.” is because he is in the Roman Martyrology (which includes some saints who weren’t technically martyrs or who we aren’t sure whether they were martyred or not).

Martyrologium Romanum - Junius (search for Novati on the page)

The only other possible Novati who was a “martyr” was Novatian, who was a schismatic.
 
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Thank you…and happy anniversary! Interesting view on this, Tis. I thought the Roman Martyrology now includes all saints, not just martyrs and “some saints who weren’t technically martyrs or who we aren’t sure whether they were martyred or not.” Saints like Saint Patrick (3/17) are listed, and he wasn’t a Martyr. He was a bishop and confessor, so his relics should normally say “E., C.” on them. Does this then mean that your assumption on the reason behind the M. is incorrect? I agree, though, Saint Novatus is the only one I can find. His brother was martyred, but I only see him as a Confessor.
 
BusterMartin said:
I thought the Roman Martyrology now includes all saints, not just martyrs and “some saints who weren’t technically martyrs or who we aren’t sure whether they were martyred or not.” Saints like Saint Patrick (3/17) are listed, and he wasn’t a Martyr. He was a bishop and confessor, so his relics should normally say “E., C.” on them. Does this then mean that your assumption on the reason behind the M. is incorrect? I agree, though, Saint Novatus is the only one I can find. His brother was martyred, but I only see him as a Confessor.
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You are right that now it includes all saints. The version I linked you to is pre-Vatican II and I’m not positive what era it is from or exactly who it would have included.

I think information is lacking on how St. Novatus died. His feast day was June 20 on the old calendar (as shown on what I linked) and he shares it with his brother Timothy who was a martyr.
It would not have been a stretch for somebody writing up the piece of paper to assume Novatus was also a martyr or just go by the fact that he was in the martyrology.
Unless you have an actual certificate from the Vatican to go with this, there’s a good chance in my opinion that it’s phony and the identifier may not have been created by a person with great in-depth knowledge of saints.
 
There was a St Novatus;

Confessor. According to tradition, he was the son of the Roman senator Pudens and the brother of Saints Praxedes and Pudentiana. There is reason to doubt his historical existence.


If you have a piece of his bone then that would prove his existence.
 
poche said:
If you have a piece of his bone then that would prove his existence.
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Except we have no way of knowing if that’s really a piece of his bone, or something someone made up in order to make a buck.

There has always been a problem with fake relics. You used to be able to get real, sealed ones from the Vatican with a certificate accompanying them to prove their authenticity, but the Vatican eventually got uncomfortable with the idea of “trafficking in relics” and now the general public does not get any from that source (religious orders or persons wanting a relic to venerate in their church might, possibly).
 
Using the Latin shorthand, it extends to:
Ossum Santi Novati Martyris

translated as
Bone of Saint Novatus Martyr
 
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