Today is the 50th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 lunar landing. That’s all I’m going to write about the second most historic event in human history (given that there have been umptillion blog posts and news items covering that.)  The most historic event in human history was the Incarnation of Christ with His continued Real Presence in the Eucharist.

What struck me is what happened when I glanced at a calendar.  Today, July 20th, is the feast day on the New Roman Calendar of St. Apollinaris of Ravenna. Odd coincidence?  Apollinaris—> Apollo 11? Under the old pre-Vatican II calendar, his feast day was July 23 (day before Apollo 11 returned to Earth.)

The Catholic Encyclopedia hosted by New Advent has this to say about him:

One of the first great martyrs of the church. He was made Bishop of Ravenna by St. Peter himself. The miracles he wrought there soon attracted official attention, for they and his preaching won many converts to the Faith, while at the same time bringing upon him the fury of the idolaters, who beat him cruelly and drove him from the city. He was found half dead on the seashore, and kept in concealment by the Christians, but was captured again and compelled to walk on burning coals and a second time expelled. But he remained in the vicinity, and continued his work of evangelization. We find him then journeying in the province of Aemilia. A third time he returned to Ravenna. Again he was captured, hacked with knives, had scalding water poured over his wounds, was beaten in the mouth with stones because he persisted in preaching, and then, loaded with chains, was flung into a horrible dungeon to starve to death; but after four days he was put on board ship and sent to Greece. There the same course of preachings, and miracles, and sufferings continued; and when his very presence caused the oracles to be silent, he was, after a cruel beating, sent back to Italy. All this continued for three years, and a fourth time he returned to Ravenna. By this time Vespasian was Emperor, and he, in answer to the complaints of the pagans, issued a decree of banishment against the Christians. Apollinaris was kept concealed for some time, but as he was passing out of the gates of the city, was set upon and savagely beaten, probably at Classis, a suburb, but he lived for seven days, foretelling meantime that the persecutions would increase, but that the Church would ultimately triumph. It is not certain what was his native place, though it was probably Antioch. Nor is it sure that he was one of the seventy-two disciples of Christ, as has been suggested. The precise date of his consecration cannot be ascertained, but he was Bishopof Ravenna for twenty-six years.

I don’t see any connection to the space program. Obviously, there’s 1900+ years difference; but perhaps I was hoping for epic sea voyages, at least; or converting countelss pagans from the cults of Diana or Artemis.

Or boldly going where no one had gone before.

But I thought it was interesting.

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