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| Saint Quiricus and Saint Julietta | |
|---|---|
| Martyrs | |
| Died | 304 AD, Tarsus, Asia Minor |
| Venerated in | Roman Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox Church |
| Major shrine | Relics at Nevers, and in the monastery of Saint-Amand, Tournai. |
| Feast | June 16 |
| Attributes | From the story involving Charlemagne, Cyricus is depicted as a naked child riding on a wild boar. |
| Patronage | Prayed to for family happiness, and the restoring to health of sick children. |
Saint Julietta (Julitta) and her son Saint Quiricus (also known as Cyriacus, Qyriacus, Ciricus, Kerykos and Cyr) were martyred in AD 304 in Tarsus.
Quiricus should not be confused with Saint Cyriacus or Saint Judas Cyriacus.
Cyricus
Some evidence exists for an otherwise unknown child-martyr named Cyricus at Antioch*. It is believed that the legends about Saints Quiricus and Julietta refer to him. There are places named after Cyricus in Europe and the Middle East, but without the name Julitta attached. Cyricus is the Saint-Cyr found in many French toponyms. The cult of these saints was strong in France after Saint Amator, Bishop of Auxerre, brought relics back from Antioch in the 4th century. It is said that Constantine discovered their relics originally and built near Constantinople a monastery, and not far off from Jerusalem was built a church. In the 6th century the Acts of Cyricus and Julitta were rejected in a list of apocryphal documents by the pseudo-Gelasius, called as such since the list was erroneously attributed to Pope Saint Gelasius I.
Legends
According to legend, Julietta and her three-year (sometimes described as three-month) old Cyricus had fled to Tarsus and were identified as Christians. Julietta was tortured, and her three year old son, being held by the governor of Tarsus, scratched the governor's face and was killed by being thrown down some steps. Julietta did not weep but celebrated the fact that her son had earned the crown of martyrdom. In anger, the governor then decreed that Julietta’s sides should be ripped apart with hooks, and then she was beheaded. The bodies of she and Cyricus were flung outside the city, on the heap of bodies belonging to criminals, but the two maids rescued the corpses of the mother and child and buried them in a nearby field.
An alternative version of the story is that Julietta told the governor that his religion could not be accepted by a three year old child, whereupon Quiricus testified to his faith, and mother and child were tortured before being decapitated.
Cyricus and Charlemagne
A story from Nevers, which is reproduced in the Golden Legend. states that one night Charlemagne dreamed he was saved from death by a wild boar during a hunt. He saved by the appearance of a child, who had promised to save the emperor from death if he would give him clothes to cover his nakedness.
The bishop of Nevers interpreted this dream to mean that he wanted the emperor to repair the roof of the cathedral dedicated to Saint Cyricus.
Their cultus in England
There are a few churches in England dedicated to Saint Quiricus and Saint Julietta, including one found at Tickenham.
In Cornwall, they can be found in the towns of Luxulyan and St Veep. There was also once a chapel at Calstock dedicated to these two saints.*
External links
"Saint Quiricus and Saint Julietta"