Saints Crispin and Crispian

Today is the Feast of Saints Crispin and Crispian, third century Christian martyrs who evangelized Gaul. These two brothers were shoemakers by trade and thus have become the patrons of shoemakers, as well as tanners and saddlers. These days, not much is known or remembered about these two ancient saints, with one exception. Saints Crispin and Crispian and their feast day were immortalized by William Shakespeare in perhaps the most inspirational and stirring speech ever written. In Shakespeare's Henry V, the title king stirs his small band of soldiers on to victory at the Battle of Agincourt through the rousing St. Crispin's Day Speech. But for at least some people, the Feast of Saints Crispin and Crispian has another significance, because this is the day when myself and seven other men were ordained deacons in 2003 in the Archabbey Church of Our Lady of Einsiedeln at Saint Meinrad Archabbey. As we lay prostrate on the floor of that church during the Litany of the Saints, we heard the names of Crispin and Crispian joined with the more traditional and familiar saints of the Church, and we sought their prayers for our life of ministry in the diaconate and later in the priesthood.

In case your Shakespeare is rusty, here are the last few lines of the famous St. Crispin's Day Speech from the play Henry V:

This day is call'd the feast of Crispian.
He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,
Will stand a tip-toe when this day is nam'd,
And rouse him at the name of Crispian.
He that shall live this day, and see old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,
And say 'To-morrow is Saint Crispian.'
Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars,
And say 'These wounds I had on Crispian's day.'
Old men forget; yet all shall be forgot,
But he'll remember, with advantages,
What feats he did that day. Then shall our names,
Familiar in his mouth as household words-
Harry the King, Bedford and Exeter,
Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester-
Be in their flowing cups freshly rememb'red.
This story shall the good man teach his son;
And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remembered-
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition;
And gentlemen in England now-a-bed
Shall think themselves accurs'd they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.