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As we deepen our relationship with the Eternal Word, Jesus Christ, we grow in grace and are transformed by His love and mercy.
3rd century–c. 257 AD
Patron Saint of Toulouse, France
St. Saturnin, also known as St. Sernin, was the first bishop of Toulouse, in Gaul (modern-day France), and one of the earliest Christian missionaries to the region. During the 3rd century, Christians suffered severe persecution under the Roman emperor Decius.
Pope Fabian sent St. Saturnin to Gaul to evangelize the region and rebuild the persecuted Christian community in Toulouse. Upon his arrival, he began preaching boldly about Christ, baptizing many, and building up the Christian community. His missionary work quickly drew the hostility of the pagan priests.
To reach the church, St. Saturnin had to pass by the Capitol, where a pagan temple stood. The pagan priests kept a watchful eye on him. One day, as he was passing by, a pagan sacrificial rite was underway. The pagan priests seized St. Saturnin and forced him to offer worship to their gods. When he refused, the enraged crowd tied him to a wild bull and drove the animal down the steps of the Capitol. St. Saturnin was then dragged through the streets and battered to death. His companions later recovered his body and reverently buried him outside the city walls.
St. Saturnin’s martyrdom made a deep impression on the people of Toulouse. A church was soon built over his tomb, which became a place of pilgrimage. In the 11th century, the grand Basilica of St. Sernin was erected on the same site in his honor, and it remains a significant church of Roman architecture in Europe and a primary pilgrimage site.
The sacrifice of saints like St. Saturnin demonstrates that the blood of martyrs played a crucial role in spreading Christianity across Europe and beyond, making the Gospel message available to us today.
There is little information about the life of St. Saturnin, also known as St. Sernin. He was the first bishop of Toulouse and an early Christian missionary in Gaul (modern-day France). St. Saturnin was regarded as one of the most illustrious French martyrs of his era. He was sent there as the first bishop of Gaul between 250 and 251 AD. He was part of a group of seven bishops, known as the “Apostles to the Gauls,” who were sent by Pope Fabian to evangelize the region and rebuild the Christian community in Toulouse, which was weakened by persecution under Emperor Decius.
The story of St. Saturnin’s death was recorded in a historical account called the Acts of St. Saturnin, which chronicled the life and martyrdom of the saint. Unfortunately, these writings were lost, and parts of their content are known only through the records of historian Gregory of Tours and other early sources written 300 years later.
Gregory of Tours was a historian who used content from the Acts of St. Saturnin in his own writings, making his work a valuable, though indirect, source of information about the saint’s life. He wrote between 585 and 588, which was more than 300 years after the death of St. Saturnin.
St. Saturnin, also known as St. Sernin, was honored with the construction of the Basilica of St. Sernin in Toulouse. It is one of Europe’s largest churches and was constructed in the late 11th and 12th centuries to house the relics of St. Saturnin, the first bishop of Toulouse. It has served as a pilgrimage site for many pilgrims traveling to the Way of St. James, a network of ancient pilgrimage routes across Europe. The construction took over a century to complete, becoming a primary pilgrimage site over the centuries and the most significant preserved building of Roman architecture in the world. In 1998, the Basilica of Saint-Sernin was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites as part of the Routes of Santiago de Compostela (the Way of St. James) in France.
This eBook combines stunning photography from EWTN’s Vatican Bureau along with Bible passages and saints’ quotes that will calm your heart, give you hope, and remind you that God is with us always. Simply fill out the form below and we will send this to you!
As we deepen our relationship with the Eternal Word, Jesus Christ, we grow in grace and are transformed by His love and mercy.
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