Saint Denis of Paris

Life story

The oldest source on Denis is the History of the Franks by Gregory of Tours, written in the late sixth century. It says that under the emperor Decius seven bishops were sent from Rome to Gaul to preach, and that Denis settled among the Parisii, in what is now Paris. He became their bishop, and scholars usually date his death between about 250 and 258, depending on the reckoning.

Gregory adds that he endured many hardships while founding the Christian community there and was finally beheaded by the sword. Tradition says he was executed with two companions, the priest Rusticus and the deacon Eleutherius. The traditional place of execution is the hill later called Montmartre, meaning hill of the martyrs, north of Paris.

A later legend, set down in an account of around 600, says he picked up his own head and walked to the place that became the town of Saint-Denis. Historians treat this as legend. His tomb was venerated there. According to tradition, Saint Genevieve had a church built over it, and the site later grew into the abbey of Saint-Denis, burial place of many French kings.

In the ninth century, at that abbey, Denis was identified with Dionysius the Areopagite of the Acts of the Apostles and with a mystical Greek writer of the same name. Modern historians regard this as a confusion. His day of remembrance is 9 October.

Works and witness

• Sent to Gaul under the emperor Decius, according to Gregory of Tours
• Bishop of the Parisii, the people of the Paris region
• Beheaded with Rusticus and Eleutherius, traditionally on Montmartre
• His tomb became the foundation of the abbey of Saint-Denis, burial place of French kings
• Confused with Dionysius the Areopagite from the ninth century

Saints from the same country

Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, Saint Louis IX of France, Saint Joan of Arc, Saint Francis de Sales

References

• Gregory of Tours, Historia Francorum
• Martyrologium Romanum
• Britannica – Saint Denis

Written by Anawim from documented history. Some details about ancient saints rest on tradition and are marked as such.