Palerius of Telese

Palerius of Telese was bishop of Telesia (Telese) in southern Italy in the 9th century. He was proclaimed a saint together with his deacon Equitius. He is remembered on 16 June.

The city of Telesia suffered much in his time. In 846 and 847 it was struck by the Saracen invasion: the commander Massar forced the city to surrender by cutting its water pipes, brought down the walls and destroyed much of the town. An earthquake in 848 struck the lands of Samnium again. According to tradition, Bishop Palerius fled Telesia after these misfortunes and took refuge in the mountains of Irpinia, then at San Martino Valle Caudina, where his veneration is lively still today.

Two old inscriptions found at San Martino Valle Caudina in 1712 give further news. The first says that in the 12th century a certain Maraldo, perhaps a notary, had a vision of the place where the remains of Bishop Palerius and the deacon Equitius lay buried. He found them, built a church on his own land and dedicated it to the two. The second says that on 30 July 1167 Bishop Guglielmo of Avellino consecrated the church. The remains were examined at the synod of Archbishop Orsini of Benevento, the future Pope Benedict XIII, and on 5 March 1713 they were placed in the church of Saint John the Baptist at San Martino Valle Caudina. The cult was renewed with the approval of the Congregation of Rites in 1795.

He is a local saint of the West; no Orthodox synodal canonization is known.