St Justinian was also known as Iestin or Jestin.
He was a travelling priest and a hermit.
He was born in the 6th century AD in Brittany, France, and murdered by servants in Ramsey Island near Wales, UK.
We celebrate his feast day on December 5 every year in the Catholic Church.
| St Justinian Biography | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Date of Birth | 6th century AD |
| Place of Birth | Brittany, France |
| Profession | Priest and a hermit |
| Place of Work | Ramsey Island, UK |
| Date of Death | 6th century AD |
| Place of Death | Ramsey Island, UK |
| Feast Day | December 5 |
| Canonization | Pre-congregation |
| Patron Saint of | |
St Justinian’s Life History
St. Justinian was born in the 6th century in Brittany, which is now a part of modern France, to a noble family.
He received a good education and later became a priest. He left his homeland to become a traveling evangelist and eventually settled as a hermit on Ramsey Island near southern Wales, living with a pious layman named Honorius.
Justinian agreed to live there on the condition that all the women in the household were sent away.
During his time as a hermit, he visited Saint David of Wales, who was deeply impressed by Justinian’s holiness.
Saint David gave Justinian hermitages on the mainland and a nearby island. Justinian is remembered in ancient Welsh calendars of saints and martyrs, and there is a church dedicated to him in Llanstinan.
There are some remarkable stories associated with the holy hermit:
On one occasion, sailors arrived at the island hermitage, claiming that Saint David was seriously ill and they were sent to bring Justinian to the mainland.
However, Justinian realized that the sailors were actually demons in disguise. He recited Psalm 79, causing the demons to transform into blackbirds and flee. The boat safely reached the shore, where Justinian found Saint David in good health.
Justinian met a tragic end when he advised his servants to focus on their duties. Provoked by demons, the servants became enraged, attacked Justinian, and beheaded him.
Where his body fell, a healing spring emerged from the ground. The murderers were afflicted with leprosy and spent their days in caves and rocks near the hermitage.
Justinian had already designated a burial site, and a church was built over his tomb, which became a place of miracles. Saint David later moved Justinian’s remains to his own church.
St. Justinian is venerated as a martyr due to the demonic nature of his killers and the belief that their motive was his faith.
Related Links
Powered By SEO Experts
Follow @ReadingCatholic
