Firminus of Amiens

About Firminus of Amiens

Firminus was a missionary bishop and martyr, patron saint of Amiens and Navarre. According to tradition, Firminus was the son of a Roman senator in Pamplona, converted and baptized by Saint Honestus, a disciple of Saint Saturninus of Toulouse. Firminus was ordained bishop and sent to evangelize Gaul (France). He traveled to Amiens, established his episcopal see there, and converted many in the region through preaching and miracles. During Diocletian's persecution, he was arrested for his Christian activities and refusing to sacrifice to Roman gods. After torture, he was beheaded around 303 AD. His relics are enshrined in Amiens Cathedral, one of the great Gothic cathedrals of France. The famous San Fermín festival in Pamplona (with the running of the bulls) is held in his honor each July, though he is most strongly associated with Amiens, where he evangelized and died as a martyr.