On November 14, the feast day of Saint Serapio is celebrated. Born in London in 1179, Saint Serapio is considered the first martyr of the Mercedarian order. In 1743, he was officially listed in the catalog of saints of the Church. His life was dedicated to the rescue and conversion of slaves, freeing hundreds of them in France, Spain, and Algiers, where he ultimately died as a martyr in 1240.
Saint Serapio, of Irish origin, participated in the Crusades under Richard the Lionheart and later in the Reconquista in Spain, fighting in the ranks of Alfonso VIII. Subsequently, he came into contact with Saint Peter Nolasco and the Mercedarian friars, joining the Order in 1222. He is recognized as the patron of the sick and of the city of Azul in the province of Buenos Aires. Devotion to him has popularized the use of an oil bearing his name to relieve abdominal ailments.
In his last redemption, Saint Serapio offered himself as part of the payment for the release of captives, but unfortunately, the money for his rescue did not arrive in time. His feast day is celebrated on November 14 in his honor. On November 14, 1240, he was martyred by the Saracens during the reign of Abu Muhammad ar-Rashid. He was tied to a cross in the shape of a saltire, his intestines were ripped out, and his limbs were cut off as an act of martyrdom.