Catholics in the United States and abroad Sunday celebrated the saint behind St. Valentine's Day, The Catholic News Agency reported.

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The Roman Catholic Church views St. Valentine as the patron saint of couples and young people in love, with the roots of those beliefs coming from a pair of stories about St. Valentine's involvement with the ancient Romans.

St. Valentine was arrested during the reign of Roman Emperor Claudius II.

Claudius had banned his young soldiers from marrying based on the belief they would be better soldiers if single. St. Valentine violated that ban and secretly married young couples until his arrest, the news agency said.

The story ends with St. Valentine converting his jailer before being martyred by being beheaded.

A second story holds the roots of the "valentine," the news agency said. The story involves St. Valentine being arrested for aiding Christians being held in horrible conditions in Roman jails.

While incarcerated, St. Valentine reportedly sent a letter to the woman he loved, signing the letter "from your Valentine."