Lucien of Beauvais
Disputed apostle and first bishop of Beauvais.
Lucien of Beauvais is a Christian martyr venerated as the first bishop of Beauvais, though his historicity is disputed. He is said to have been killed during the Diocletian persecution, but later traditions placed his death in the 1st century to claim apostolic origins for the diocese.
Quick Facts
- Honorific prefix
- Saint
- Died
- c. 290 AD
- Feast day
- 8 January, 3 June (Orthodox Church only).
- Venerated in
- Roman Catholic Church
- Orthodox Church
- Anglican Church
- Place of death
- Beauvais
- Titles
- Apostle of Beauvais
- Major shrine
- Formerly the cathedral of Beauvais
Facts from the source article.
Legend
Lucian is said to have come from a noble Roman family. Originally named Lucius like his father, he took the name Lucian after being converted by Saint Peter. Ordained bishop by Pope Clement I, he was sent to Gaul with Saint Denis and Rieul of Reims, among others. He preached in Italy, was imprisoned in Parma and freed by Christians, then converted people in Pavia before reaching Arles. Denis remained in Lutetia while Lucian continued to Beauvais (then Caesaromagus). There he gained fame for mortifications and penances, preaching against Roman gods. He lived in a house later occupied by the collegiate church of Saint-Nicolas. According to Rolandus, author of the Acta Sancti Luciani, he retired to a mountain near the city as a hermit, eating only grass and water. One account credits him with converting 30,000 people, assisted by his two disciples Maximian and Julian.
Veneration
Lucian's body was buried in the cemetery of Thil. A church built over his tomb, called the Church of Saints Peter and Lucian, was destroyed in the 5th century. Around 583, at the request of Dodo, bishop of Beauvais, and Saint Evrou, Chilperic I ordered a new basilica and monastery on the same site, dedicated again to Saints Peter and Lucian. The abbey was destroyed in 845 during Norman invasions but rebuilt in the 12th century, serving as a burial place for cathedral canons. A priory at Montmille became a pilgrimage site. In 1261, the relics of Lucian, Maximian, and Julian were placed in a new reliquary by William of Grès, bishop of Beauvais, in the presence of St. Louis IX and Theobald II. On 5 January 1791 the abbey was sold; the basilica and monastery were demolished between 1795 and 1819. On 20 November 1793, Lucian's relics were burned by Protestant extremists.
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