Saint Gereon
Saint Gereon (died c. 304 AD in Cologne, Germania, modern Germany) was a Roman soldier and martyr, leader of a group of Christian soldiers executed at Cologne during the Diocletianic Persecution. He and his companions — traditionally numbering around 318 — were beheaded at Cologne. The great Romanesque Basilica of Saint Gereon in Cologne, one of the most remarkable church buildings in Germany with its unique decagonal nave, is built over the site of his martyrdom. He is patron of Cologne. His feast day is October 10.
Stored in Cargo: Saint Gereon
| Saint Gereon | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | October 10 |
| Profession | Roman soldier; martyr |
| Rel. Affiliation | Catholic Church; martyr of the Diocletianic Persecution; Theban Legion (possible connection in tradition) |
| Patronage | Cologne; soldiers; knights; those accused falsely; the Rhineland |
| Attributes | Roman military armor; palm (martyr); his severed head (cephalophore); the decagonal basilica of Cologne |
| Birthplace | North Africa or the East (tradition); served in Roman army in Gaul |
| Death Place | Cologne (Colonia Agrippina), Germania, modern Germany |
| Cause of Death | Martyrdom; beheaded with his soldiers at Cologne during the Diocletianic Persecution, c. 304 AD |
| Primary Shrine | Basilica of Saint Gereon, Cologne, Germany — one of the twelve Romanesque churches of Cologne; unique decagonal nave over the site of his martyrdom; his relics here; a major Rhineland pilgrimage site since late antiquity |
| Liturgical Class | Not in universal Roman Calendar; feast October 10; observed in Cologne, Diocese of Cologne, and Rhineland |
| Historic Class | Not in universal 1962 calendar; locally observed |
Biography
The historical records of Saint Gereon are thin, but he is among the oldest venerated martyrs of Cologne, and the basilica built over his tomb is one of the most remarkable early Christian buildings north of the Alps.
According to the tradition preserved in his Passio and later by Saint Gregory of Tours, Gereon was a soldier — possibly from North Africa or the eastern Mediterranean — serving in a Roman legion stationed at Cologne (Colonia Agrippina) on the Rhine frontier. He and a group of fellow Christian soldiers refused to participate in pagan sacrifice during the persecutions of Diocletian (c. 303–305 AD) and were executed. Various traditions give the number of his companions as fifty, three hundred, or even 318 (a number with symbolic resonance as the number of defenders of the Thermopylae and the number of servants of Abraham in Genesis 14).
Their bodies were buried at the site of their martyrdom outside the city walls of Cologne. By the 4th century a monumental oval martyrium (tomb-church) was constructed over the site — the building that became the extraordinary decagonal nave of the Basilica of Saint Gereon, one of the largest oval interior spaces built in late antiquity north of Rome. The basilica was expanded in the Romanesque period (12th century) when the great decagon was vaulted, creating one of the most ambitious architectural spaces in medieval Germany.
His cult is among the oldest in Cologne and the Rhineland, preceding the major Theban Legion cults (Saints Maurice, Victor, Ursula) and rivaling the Cathedral of Cologne in local importance.
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: North Africa or the East (tradition); served in Roman army in Gaul
Death location: Cologne (Colonia Agrippina), Germania, modern Germany
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Shrines
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Known shrines
- Basilica of Saint Gereon, Cologne, Germany — one of the twelve Romanesque churches of Cologne; unique decagonal nave; his relics; major Rhineland pilgrimage site.
Feast day
October 10
Veneration
Saint Gereon is venerated in the Roman Catholic Church with a feast on October 10, observed in Cologne and the Rhineland. He is patron of Cologne.
Prayers
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