Saturninus of Toulouse

Holy Hieromartyr Saturninus (Sernin) was the first bishop of Toulouse, in the third century, who died about 250 (according to one source, in 257). He is venerated in the Roman Catholic Church, where his commemoration is on 29 November, and in the Orthodox Church among the hieromartyrs. On 9 March 2017 the Holy Synod of the Russian Church entered in the calendar the name of the holy hieromartyr Saturninus, first bishop of Toulouse, which means canonization for the whole Church, he having until then been venerated locally in the Orthodox Church.

According to the Passion of Saturninus, a Life by an unknown author of the fifth century, Saturninus came to Toulouse from the East and founded the first diocese there. He aroused the anger of the pagans by refusing to offer sacrifice to Jupiter Capitolinus. He was condemned and subjected to the punishment of being dragged by two bulls. This punishment was described in the thirteenth century in the Golden Legend of Jacobus de Voragine. His remains, buried by Christian women, were found in the sixth century and placed in the basilica of Saint-⁠Sernin in Toulouse.

According to another source, Saturninus was one of the Apostles to the Gauls, sent (probably under the direction of Pope Fabian, 236 to 250) during the consulate of Decius and Gratus (250 to 251) to Christianize Gaul, after the persecution of Decius had almost dissolved the small Christian communities. Fabian sent seven bishops from Rome: Gatianus to Tours, Trophimus to Arles, Paul to Narbonne, Saturninus to Toulouse, Dionysius to Paris, Austremonius to Clermont and Martial to Limoges.

The veneration of Saint Saturninus spread widely in medieval France and Spain. The basilica of Saint-⁠Sernin in Toulouse, a church in Pamplona and the altar of the church of Sant Serni de Nagol in Andorra are dedicated to him.