Saturius of Soria

Saint Saturius of Soria (493 to 568-570) is a hermit of Spain. He was born at Soria into a well-⁠to-⁠do Visigothic family and, according to tradition, dedicated himself to a life of solitude and prayer. He cared for his parents until their death, then gave his inheritance to the poor and, at the age of forty, retired to a cave on the hill of Santa Ana (or Peñalba) in the Sierra de Santa Ana, near Soria. There he lived in complete austerity and built a chapel in honor of the Archangel Michael.

His fame spread, and Prudentius of Armentia sought his counsel. Prudentius, then a youth of fifteen, was his companion and disciple during the last seven years of the hermit's life and buried him in the cave. He then returned to his homeland and was soon chosen bishop of Tarazona. Saturius was declared patron of Soria in 1628 and was inscribed in the canon of saints of the Catholic Church in the 18th century. His cave remains a place of pilgrimage; his hermitage is mentioned by Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer in "El rayo de luna". He is commemorated on 2 October, by the Western calendar (new style). He is honored as a saint of the undivided Church.