VISUAL THEOLOGY

Cornelius was a centurion in the Cohors II Italica Civium Romanorum, mentioned as Cohors Italica in the Vulgate. He was stationed in Caesarea, the capital of Roman Iudaea province. He is depicted in the New Testament as a God-fearing man who always prayed and was full of good works and deeds of alms. Cornelius receives a vision in which an angel of God tells him that his prayers have been heard. The angel then instructs Cornelius to send the men of his household to Joppa, where they will find Simon Peter, who is residing with a tanner by the name of Simon. The conversion of Cornelius comes after a separate vision given to Simon Peter (Acts 10:10–16) himself. In this painting by Gerbrand van den Eeckhout The angel tells him to seek out St. Peter. The Walters Art Museum.