File:Paris_-_Cathédrale_Notre-Dame_-_Portail_de_la_Vierge_-_PA00086250_-_003.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
Denis
Sign in to saveAlso known as Dionysius Parisiensis, Saint Denis, St. Denis
3rd-century Bishop of Paris and saint
Key facts
- Born
- 3rd century, Italia , Roman Empire
- Died
- c. 250, 258, or 270, Mons Martis , Lutetia , Roman Gaul (modern day Paris , France)
- Venerated in
- Catholic Church , Anglican Communion , Eastern Orthodox Church
- Major shrine
- Saint Denis Basilica
- Feast
- 9 October
- Attributes
- A martyr carrying his severed head in his hands; a bishop's mitre ; city; furnace
- Patronage
- Paris ; against frenzy, strife, headaches, hydrophobia , San Dionisio ( Parañaque ), possessed people
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- human
- Gender
- male
- Citizenship
- Ancient Rome
- Place of birth
- Roman Italy
- Place of death
- Lutetia
- Occupation
- Catholic bishop
- Religion
- Catholicism
- Image
- 1465 Le Moiturier Hl. Dionysius anagoria.JPG
Show 13 more facts
- canonization status
- hieromartyr
- place of burial
- Basilica of Saint-Denis
- Commons category
- Denis de Paris
- date of birth
- 0201-00-00
- date of death
- 0250-00-00
- topic's main category
- Category:Denis de Paris
- time period
- Roman Empire
- cause of death
- decapitation
- feast day
- October 9
- nickname
- Apostle of the French
- floruit
- 0300-00-00
- subject has role
- bishop
Sources (7)
via Wikidata · CC0
~11 min read
Encyclopedic overview
Denis of Paris (Latin: Dionysius) was a 3rd-century Christian martyr and saint. According to his hagiographies, he was bishop of Paris (then Lutetia) in the third century and, together with his companions Rusticus and Eleutherius, was martyred for his faith by decapitation. Some accounts placed this during Domitian's persecution and incorrectly identified St Denis of Paris with the Areopagite who was converted by Paul the Apostle and who served as the first bishop of Athens. Assuming Denis's historicity, it is now considered more likely that he suffered under the persecution of the emperor Decius shortly after AD 250.
Denis is the most famous cephalophore in Christian history, with a popular story claiming that the decapitated bishop picked up his head and walked several miles while preaching a sermon on repentance. He is venerated in the Catholic Church as a patron saint of both France and Paris and is one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers. A chapel was raised at the site of his burial by a local Christian woman; it was later expanded into an abbey and basilica, around which grew up the French city of Saint-Denis, now a suburb of Paris.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Denis” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.