Justus and Pastor ( la, Iustus et Pastor; died 304), venerated as

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

martyrs, were two

schoolboy A student is a person enrolled in a school or other educational institution. In the United Kingdom and most commonwealth countries, a "student" attends a secondary school or higher (e.g., college or university); those in primary or elementary ...

brothers (Justus was 13 years old, Pastor less than 9) who were killed for their faith during the

Diocletian Diocletian (; la, Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus, grc, Διοκλητιανός, Diokletianós; c. 242/245 – 311/312), nicknamed ''Iovius'', was Roman emperor from 284 until his abdication in 305. He was born Gaius Valerius Diocles ...

persecutions. The boys are today considered the patron saints of Alcalá. They are mentioned by Prudentius.

Martyrdom

After the imperial proclamation was made public in Complutum, Justus and Pastor, were at school. Stimulated by their desire to give their lives for Jesus Christ, they chucked the tablets they used for writing and ran to Dacianus’ residence to bear witness of their faith to the point of martyrdom, despite their young age. They confessed to Dacianus that they were Christians and were reluctant to sacrifice to idols. He tried to win them over with gifts, but he was unable to persuade them. They were viciously flogged for denouncing the Roman religion and later beheaded outside the Spanish city of

Alcalá de Henares Alcalá de Henares () is a Spanish city in the Community of Madrid. Straddling the Henares River, it is located to the northeast of the centre of Madrid. , it has a population of 193,751, making it the region's third-most populated Municipalities ...

(known in Roman times as Complutum).

Veneration

Relics believed to be those of Justus and Pastor were discovered in the 8th century and taken to Huesca. In 1568, they were brought back to

and interred beneath the high altar of the city's Cathedral-Magistral of Saints Justus and Pastor (known familiarly as the Catedral de los Santos Niños). Constructed between 1497 and 1514,the ancient cathedral is still in daily use, and the saints' tomb is accessible to the public. The

Basilica of Saints Justus and Pastor The Basilica of Saints Justus and Pastor ( ca, Església dels Sants Just i Pastor) is a basilica in Barcelona, Catalonia. In 1948 this church became the sixth in Barcelona to receive the rank of minor basilica, a title that was granted by Pope Pi ...

in Barcelona was erected in the 16th century in the Gothic style. Narbonne Cathedral located in the town of Narbonne in southern France is also dedicated to Justus and Pastor.

In popular culture

The story of Justus and Pastor is mentioned in the 2001 film '' The Others'', where it is read by Nicholas ( James Bentley), with his sister Anne (Alakina Mann) sitting nearby, under the supervision of their mother Grace Stewart ( Nicole Kidman). The children find the story amusing, where Anne criticises Justus and Pastor as being "really stupid" for facing a gruesome martyrdom, when they could have lied to spare their lives. She tells her mother (Kidman), "Inside I would have believed in Him, but I wouldn’t have told the Romans that."The Others (2001) Review
by decentfilms.com

References

External links

Saints of August 6
{{DEFAULTSORT:Justus and Pastor 3rd-century births 304 deaths Christian child saints Saints from Hispania Saints duos 4th-century Christian martyrs 4th-century Romans Spanish children Groups of Christian martyrs of the Roman era Executed children

Martyrdom

Veneration

In popular culture

See also

References

External links