Saint Gallicanus was a Roman martyr in
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...
in 363 AD, during the reign of
Julian. According to his "Acta" (in ''Acta SS.'', June, VII, 31), he was a distinguished general in the
war against the Persians. He was also consul with
Symmachus in 330 and perhaps also once before with
Caesonius Bassus
Caesonius Bassus was a politician of the late Roman Empire. Probably the son of Lucius Caesonius Ovinius Manlius Rufinianus Bassus, he was consul for 317 alongside Ovinius Gallicanus. Egyptian sources state they were in office from 8 January but ...
in 317. After his conversion to
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...
he retired to
Ostia, founded a hospital where he worked with Saint
Hilarinus
Hilarinus (or Hilary; died 361 AD) was a martyr who died with Donatus of Arezzo during the persecutions of the Roman Emperor Julian (r. 361–363).
His feast day is 16 July.
Monks of Ramsgate account
The monks of St Augustine's Abbey, Ramsgate ...
and endowed a church built by
Constantine I
Constantine I ( , ; la, Flavius Valerius Constantinus, ; ; 27 February 22 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337, the first one to Constantine the Great and Christianity, convert to Christiani ...
. Under Julian he was banished to Egypt, and lived with the
hermit
A hermit, also known as an eremite (adjectival form: hermitic or eremitic) or solitary, is a person who lives in seclusion. Eremitism plays a role in a variety of religions.
Description
In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Ch ...
s in the desert. A small church was built in his honour in the
Trastevere of Rome. His
relics
In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains of a saint or the personal effects of the saint or venerated person preserved for purposes of veneration as a tang ...
are at Rome in the church of
Sant'Andrea della Valle
Sant'Andrea della Valle is a minor basilica in the rione of Sant'Eustachio of the city of Rome, Italy. The basilica is the general seat for the religious order of the Theatines. It is located at Piazza Vidoni, at the intersection of Corso Vittor ...
. The legend of his conversion was dramatized in the tenth century by the nun
Roswitha. He is commemorated on 25 June.
Sources
External links
Colonnade Statue St Peter's Square
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gallicanus
Saints from Roman Italy