Saint Pancras of Rome

Also known as

• Pancritas
• Pancratius
• Pancrazio
• Pancracio

Memorial

• 12 May

Profile

Fourteen-year-old orphan, brought to Rome by his uncle, Saint Dionysius. Convert to Christianity. Martyred with Saint Nereus, Saint Achilleus, and Saint Domitilla for publicly proclaiming his faith. Pope Saint Vitalian sent his relics from the cemetery of Calepodius in Rome to the British Isles as part of the evangelization of England, so they would have relics of the Church at large, and to install in altars in new churches. Saint Augustine of Canterbury dedicated the first church in England to Saint Pancras, and subsequent churches throughout England are similarly named for him.

Born

• c.290 at Phrygia

Died

• beheaded c.304 on the Via Aurelia, Rome, Italy
• relics interred in the Saint Pancras church, Rome, but were destroyed in 1798
• his head is still in the basilica of Saint John Lateran

Canonized

• Pre-Congregation

Patronage

• against cramps
• against false witness
• against headaches
• against perjury
• children
• oaths
• treaties
• —
• Albano, Italy, diocese of
•  
• Iserlohn, Germany
•  
• Pontevico, Italy
• Sestino, Italy
•  
• Heerlen, Netherlands

Images

• Gallery of images of Saint Pancras

Additional Information

• Book of Saints, by the Monks of Ramsgate
• Catholic Encyclopedia
• Catholic Online
• Kirken i Norge
• Lives of the Saints
• New Catholic Dictionary
• Our Sunday Visitor’s Encyclopedia of Saints
• Roman Martyrology
• Wikipedia

MLA Citation

• “Saint Pancras of Rome“. Saints.SQPN.com. 14 May 2013. Web. 26 May 2013. <>