Saint Sixtus of Reims (french: Sixte de Reims) (died c. 300) is considered the first

bishop of Reims The Archdiocese of Reims (traditionally spelt "Rheims" in English) ( la, Archidiœcesis Remensis; French: ''Archidiocèse de Reims'') is a Latin Church ecclesiastic territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in France. Erected as a diocese ...

.Matthew Bunson, Margaret Bunson, Stephen Bunson, ''Our Sunday Visitor's encyclopedia of saints'' (Our Sunday Visitor Publishing, 2003), 762. According to

Hincmar Hincmar (; ; la, Hincmarus; 806 – 21 December 882), archbishop of Reims, was a Frankish jurist and theologian, as well as the friend, advisor and propagandist of Charles the Bald. He belonged to a noble family of northern Francia. Biography Ea ...

, a 9th-century archbishop of Reims, Sixtus was sent from Rome by

Pope Sixtus II Pope Sixtus II ( el, Πάπας Σίξτος Β΄), also written as Pope Xystus II, was bishop of Rome from 31 August 257 until his death on 6 August 258. He was martyred along with seven deacons, including Lawrence of Rome, during the persecutio ...

Gaul Gaul ( la, Gallia) was a region of Western Europe first described by the Romans. It was inhabited by Celtic and Aquitani tribes, encompassing present-day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, most of Switzerland, parts of Northern Italy (only during ...

to assist in Christianizing the region.Clovis Poussin, ''Monographie de l'abbaye et de l'église de St.-Remi de Reims, précédée d'une notice sur le saint apôtre des Francs d'après Flodoard'' (Lemoine-Canart, 1857), 1-2. Another tradition makes him, anachronistically, the disciple of

Saint Peter Saint Peter; he, שמעון בר יונה, Šimʿōn bar Yōnāh; ar, سِمعَان بُطرُس, translit=Simʿa̅n Buṭrus; grc-gre, Πέτρος, Petros; cop, Ⲡⲉⲧⲣⲟⲥ, Petros; lat, Petrus; ar, شمعون الصفـا, Sham'un ...

.William M. Hinkle, ''The portal of the saints of Reims Cathedral: a study in mediaeval iconography. Volume 13 of Monographs on archaeology and fine arts'' (College Art Association of America in conjunction with the Art bulletin, 1965), 10. According to tradition, Sixtus of Reims, along with his companion St. Sinicius (''Sinice''), established the Christian sees of

Reims Reims ( , , ; also spelled Rheims in English) is the most populous city in the French department of Marne, and the 12th most populous city in France. The city lies northeast of Paris on the Vesle river, a tributary of the Aisne. Founded by ...

and

Soissons Soissons () is a commune in the northern French department of Aisne, in the region of Hauts-de-France. Located on the river Aisne, about northeast of Paris, it is one of the most ancient towns of France, and is probably the ancient capital ...

. Sinicius would later succeed Sixtus as bishop of Reims.Alban Butler, ''The lives of the fathers, martyrs, and other principal saints'', Volume 10. (Duffy, 1845), 10. According to one source, “it would appear that Sixtus did not die as a martyr, despite the severity of the persecution during the era.”

References

{{authority control Bishops of Reims Gallo-Roman saints 3rd-century Christian saints