Denys, Bishop of Paris, & his Companions
9 October -- Commemoration
If celebrated as a Lesser Festival,
Common of Martyrs, page 464
Denys, also called Dionysius, was born in Italy at the
beginning of the third century and was sent to convert the
peoples of Gaul, along with five other bishops. On reaching
Paris, he established there a Christian church on an island
in the Seine. He and others were martyred in about the year
250 and an abbey was later built over their tombs, dedicated
to Denys. The church became the burial place of French
monarchs and Denys has long been regarded as patron saint of
France.