St. Felix was the elder son of Hermias, a Syrian soldier who had retired to Nola, Italy. After his father's death Felix sold off most of his property and
possessions, gave the proceeds to the poor, and pursued a clerical
vocation. Felix was ordained by, and worked with, Saint Maximus of Nola
. When Bishop Maximus fled to the mountains to escape the persecution of the Roman emperor Decius,
Felix was arrested and beaten for his faith instead. He escaped prison,
according to legend being freed by an angel, so that he could help
bishop Maximus. Felix found Maximus alone, ill, and helpless, and hid
him from soldiers in a vacant building. When the two were safely inside,
a spider quickly spun a web over the door, fooling the imperial forces
into thinking it was long abandoned, and they left without finding the
Christians. A subsequent attempt to arrest Felix followed, which he
avoided by hiding in a ruined building where again a spider's web spun
across the entrance convinced the soldiers the building was abandoned.
The two managed to hide from authorities until the persecution ended
with the death of Emperor Decius in 251.
After Maximus's death, the people wanted Felix to be the next bishop of Nola,
but he declined, favoring Quintus, a "senior" priest who had seven days
more experience than Felix. Felix himself continued as a priest. He
also continued to farm his remaining land, and gave most of the proceeds
to people even poorer than himself.
Legend assigns to Felix a martyr's death either in the year 255 under Emperor Valerian (253-260) or, in another version, in the general persecution instigated by the Emperor Decius (249-251). According to Butler, Felix died in a good old age, on the fourteenth of January.
Burial place of St. Felix of Nola in Cimitile, Italy:
"Saint Felix and the Spider" written by Dessi Jackson, illustrated by Lydia Grace Kadar-Kallen
A few spider crafts to inspire children to remember the sacrifice of St. Felix:
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