Saint Nicasius of Rouen (French : Nicaise de Rouen; d. perhaps c. 260), often known as the Apostle of the Vexin, was a 3rd-century saint and martyr in Gaul. He is sometimes considered the first Bishop of Rouen.
Saint Nicasius of Rouen (French : Nicaise de Rouen; d. perhaps c. 260), often known as the Apostle of the Vexin, was a 3rd-century saint and martyr in Gaul. He is sometimes considered the first Bishop of Rouen.
While the Liber Eburneus of the cathedral of Rouen indicates St. Mellon as first Bishop of Rouen, the Liber Niger of St. Ouen and the episcopal lists dating from the twelfth century mention the episcopate of a certain Nicasius (Nicaise) as antedating that of St. Mellon. [1]
According to tradition, Nicasius was an associate of Denis of Paris. Confusion of this Denis with Dionysius the Areopagite led some to suppose that Nicasius was born in Athens. [2]
According to Hilduin of Saint-Denis, Nicasius evangelized the Vexin. He spent a year at Mousseaux and evangelized Rolleboise nearby. He performed several miracles and evangelized numerous places along the Seine (among them Conflans, Andrésy, Triel, Vaux, Meulan, Mantes and La Roche-Guyon). His companion, Quirinus, is said to have delivered the residents of Pontoise from a dragon. [2]
Nicasius and his two companions were beheaded on the banks of the Epte in Gasny [3] before reaching Rouen. [1] He was believed to have been buried in Gasny. At the beginning of the ninth century the relics of Quirinus were translated to Malmedy Abbey. [4]
Saint Mellon, possibly the next bishop, is traditionally said to be a disciple of Nicasius.
Nicasius is a saint, listed in the Roman Martyrology on 11 October, his feast day. [5] He is represented in art as a cephalophore, referring to his martyrdom, and also as a bishop.
Pope Alexander I was the bishop of Rome from about 108/109 to 116/119. Some believe he suffered martyrdom under the Roman emperor Trajan or Hadrian.
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Pope Anacletus, also known as Cletus, was the bishop of Rome, following Peter and Linus. Anacletus served between c. AD 80 and his death, c. AD 92. Cletus was a Roman who, during his tenure as pope, ordained a number of priests and is traditionally credited with setting up about twenty-five parishes in Rome. Although the precise dates of his pontificate are uncertain, he "...died a martyr, perhaps about 91". Cletus is mentioned in the Roman Canon of the mass; his feast day is April 26.
Pope Marcellinus was the bishop of Rome from 30 June 296 to his death in 304. A historical accusation was levelled at him by some sources to the effect that he might have renounced Christianity during Emperor Diocletian's persecution of Christians before repenting afterwards, which would explain why he is omitted from lists of martyrs. The accusation is rejected, among others, by Augustine of Hippo. He is today venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church and in the Serbian Orthodox Church.
Crescens was an individual who appears in the New Testament. He is traditionally considered one of the 72 disciples sent out by Jesus in Luke 10. He was a missionary in Galatia and became a companion of Paul. The name 'Crescens' is the present-active participle of the Latin word crescere, and means 'increasing'.
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A cephalophore is a saint who is generally depicted carrying their severed head. In Christian art, this was usually meant to signify that the subject in question had been martyred by beheading. Depicting the requisite halo in this circumstance offers a unique challenge for the artist: some put the halo where the head used to be, and others have the saint carrying the halo along with the head. Associated legends often tell of the saint standing and carrying their head after the beheading.
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Nicasius of Die was a 4th-century bishop from Gaul, present-day France. As Bishop of Die he is notable to history as one of only five Catholic bishops from the Western part of the Roman Empire who attended the First Council of Nicaea in 325.
Nicasius was a Roman cognomen, whose variants include Nicasio, Nicaise, and Necaise. It can refer to:
Nicasius, Quirinus, Scubiculus, and Pientia were venerated as martyrs and saints. Their feast day is 11 October. Their historicity is uncertain, and "no trustworthy historical reports of [them] exist."
Saint Mellonius (229-314) was an early 4th-century Bishop of Rotomagus in the Roman province of Secunda Provincia Lugdunensis. He is known only from a 17th-century 'Life' of little historical value, meaning the historicity of his existence is uncertain.
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Primate of Normandy is a Catholic title borne by the Metropolitan Archbishop of Rouen.