Feastday: March 13
Death: 837
Roderic, also known as Ruderic, was a priest at Cabra, Spain during the persecution of Christians by the Moors. Hew was beaten into unconsciousness by his two brothers, one a Mohammedan and the other a fallen-away Catholic, when he tried to stop an argument between them. The Mohammedan brother then paraded him through the streets proclaiming that he wished to become a Mohammedan. He escaped but was denounced to the authorities by the same brother as an apostate from Mohammedanism and imprisoned through he denied he had ever given up his Christianity. While in prison, he met a man named Solomon, also charged with apostasy, and after a long imprisonment, they were both beheaded. His feast day is March 13th.
Saint Roderick (Latin: Rodericus, Rudericus; Spanish: San Rodrigo; died March 13, 857 AD) was a Mozarab priest, venerated as one of the Martyrs of Córdoba. Tradition states that he was a Christian priest of Cabra who had two brothers: one was a Muslim, the other had no religion. Once, after his brothers began to fight one another, Roderick attempted to break up the fight. However, they turned on him instead and beat him.
When Roderick awoke, he found that his Muslim brother had reported to the authorities that Roderick had converted to Islam. When Roderick maintained his loyalty to the Catholic religion, he was accused of apostasy under Sharia law. He was imprisoned and then beheaded along with Salomon (Solomon) at Córdoba.
St. Roderick's Convent and Hospital in Cabra, established in the 16th century, bears his name.
