Oct. 9: SAINT DENIS, BISHOP, AND COMPANIONS, MARTYRS
Saint Dionysius of Paris (Dionysius in Latin; Saint Denis in French), also called the Apostle of Gaul, was the first bishop of Paris, where he was martyred along with his two companions, Rusticus and Eleutherius, during a persecution preceding that of Diocletian. Although there is no unanimous agreement in the oldest documents, there is no doubt that Dionysius of Paris was venerated early, and Saint Genevieve had a church built over his tomb around 450-460. Dionysius’s name also appears in the canon of the Mass in some of the oldest sacramentaries.
By tradition, Saint Dionysius of Paris is the undisputed national saint of France. Iconographically, he is depicted holding his own head in his hands. This saint is invoked to combat migraines.
Saint Dionysius of Paris (+272) was born in Italy; he died in Lutetia Parisiorum, present-day Paris, France.
According to the accounts of Saint Gregory of Tours, Saint Dionysius of Paris was sent by Pope Fabian, along with six other companions, to Gaul around the year 250, to evangelize that part of the Roman Empire.
In present-day France, Saint Dionysius founded numerous churches and was indeed the first bishop of Paris. In that Roman city, then called Lutetia Parisorum, Saint Dionysius established a Christian church on an island in the Seine River.
During the persecution of Christians promoted by the Emperor Aurelian in 272, Saint Dionysius was captured, along with the deacon Saint Eleutherius and the priest Saint Rusticus.
Martyrdom
The governor of the city, Fescenninus Sisinius, condemned Saint Dionysius to beheading (this capital punishment, considered dignified, alludes to Saint Dionysius’s Roman citizenship). The martyrdom of the three saints is believed to have taken place on the Parisian hill now known as Montmartre (Mons Martyrium).
According to medieval tradition, after being beheaded, Saint Dionysius stood up, raised his severed head, and with it under his arm walked more than five kilometers (along what later became known as the Martyrs’ Avenue).
At the end of this journey, Saint Dionysius met a pious Roman woman named Chasuble, placed his head in her hands, and finally fell dead. Centuries later, a basilica was built on that spot in his honor, called Saint-Dénis.
The cult of Saint Dionysius of Paris spread gradually throughout the Middle Ages, encompassing France and reaching as far away as Spain and Germany. He should not be confused with other saints of the same name, such as Saint Dionysius the Areopagite.
Source: primeroscristianos.com
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