<p>St. Saturninus was one of the “Apostles to the Gauls”, and was sent out to Toulouse by Pope Fabian. The Pope sent out seven Bishops from Rome to Gaul, to preach the Gospel; St. Gatien to Tours, St. Trophimus to Arles, St. Paul to Narbonne, St. Saturninus to Toulouse, St. Denis to Paris, Austromoine to Clermont, and St. Martial to Limoges. St. Saturninus was the first Bishop of Toulouse. Gregory of Tours chronicled his work as historical records. The Martyrology gave a genealogy for Saturninus; the son of Aegeus, King of Achaea, by his wife Cassandra, who herself, was the daughter of Ptolemy, King of the Ninevites. The Acts of Saturninus places him in the 1st century, made him one of the 72 Disciples of Christ, and placed him at the Last Supper. Legend associated with Saturninus state that after St. Peter consecrated him a Bishop, “He was given for his companion Papulus, later to become St. Papulus the Martyr”. It also states that besides Papulus, He also had St. Honestus as a Disciple. The detail that we remember today describes his martyrdom. To reach the Christian Church, Saturninus had to pass before the capital of Toulouse, where there was an altar, and according to the Acts, the pagan priests ascribed the silence of their oracles to the frequent presence of Saturninus. One day they seized him and on his unshakeable refusal to sacrifice to the images they condemned him to be tied by the feet to a bull, which dragged him about the town until the rope broke. Two Christian women piously gthered up the remains and buried them in a deep ditch, that they might not be profaned by the pagans. Practical Take Away St. Saturninus was the first Bishop fo Toulouse, and he was sent out to proclaim the Gospel of Christ. He, as many Bishops of the early Church, suffered martyrdom for the faith. Their faith was so strong, that they could face a brutal death, rather than denounce their faith in Christ. We too, can learn much to defend our faith at all costs, from the lives of the great Saints of our early Church. The message they leave for us is a very simple one, always hold fast to your faith in Jesus Christ.</p>
