October 31 Celebration of Saints

October 31 Celebration of Saints

Saint Quentin

In accordance with oral tradition, Saint Quentin was a citizen of Rome. The year of his birth is not known.

He traveled to Amiens, in Gaul (now France), as a missionary. There, he was known for performing many miracles.

The Prefect Rictiovarus had Quentin jailed for preaching the Gospel. In prison, manacles were placed on Quentin. And though he was beaten and tortured, Quentin refused to denounce his faith.

Quentin escaped from prison and once again began to evangelize and preach. At that point Rictiovarus, who had planned to have Quentin sentenced by a court, decided to pass sentence on Quentin himself.

Saint Quentin was apprehended, tortured and beheaded in 287 AD in what is now Saint-Quentin, France. Roman soldiers threw his body into a march near the River Somme.

It is said that 55 years after his death a blind woman following divine inspiration found the body of Quentin, which had an aroma of sanctity. She took the body as far as her chariot could go, to the top of a mountain near Augusta Veromanduorum.

There she buried the body and built a small chapel to protect the remains. After which, she regained her sight.

His tomb became a pilgrimage site as the cult of San Quentin grew during the Middle Ages. It is now the location of the Basilica of Saint-Quentin.

San Quentin is the patron saint of chaplains, locksmiths, porters, tailors, and surgeons. The attributes of his image include a deacon, a broken wheel, him seated in a chair, with a sword, or beheaded with a dove flying from his head.

Other Saints for Today

Other saints for this day include:

Saint Abaidas, Saint Antoninus, Saint Arnulf, Saint Bega, Saint Erth, Saint Notburga, and Saint Wolfgang.