Night Sky Spectacular – Tears of St. Lawrence

Earth has entered the Perseid meteor shower. That means we see the Perseids every night, peaking on August 12. There are usually more than 90 meteors per hour around the peak. Although the full Moon is two days before the peak, the 2025 phase of the Perseid meteor shower is predicted to bring us a brilliant celestial display.

The best viewing of the Perseids occurs in the pre-dawn hours, when the Perseid radiant is highest in the sky. With the full Moon just two days away, viewing in 2025 should yield the best hours from just after sunset to midnight, as the bright, waning phase of the Moon will disrupt the display.
On August 10, known as the Night of St. Lawrence, millions of people look up to the sky in search of a fleeting glimpse. According to ancient tradition, the shooting stars that cross the sky on these dates are not simple meteors: they are the tears that Saint Lawrence shed during his martyrdom, and thus have become a symbol of hope and strength.

Saint Lawrence, a deacon and martyr, died in Rome on August 10, 258, at the age of 33, by order of the Emperor Valerian. History tells us that he was tortured on a red-hot grill, which is why he is the patron saint of firefighters, cooks, and, especially, deacons.

Probably born in Huesca around 225, Lawrence studied theology in Zaragoza. There, he met the future Pope Sixtus II, who brought him to Rome. He soon distinguished himself with his consistent life and tireless love for people with low incomes, earning him the title of archdeacon. His devotion made him a well-known and respected figure, but also made him a target of pagan authorities.

His relics are venerated in Rome in the Basilica of San Lorenzo fuori le mura, built by Emperor Constantine and restored after the bombing of World War II. Another church stands in his honor on Via Panisperna, where he suffered martyrdom.

Every year, when shooting stars cross the August sky, tradition reminds us that, beyond the wish we make, the “tears of Saint Lawrence” are a call to live with the same fervent faith that he carried to the end.