Valerius and Rufinus (died 287 AD) are 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 ...

saints In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of holiness Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual res ...

and

martyr A martyr (, ''mártys'', "witness", or , ''marturia'', stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an externa ...

s. Their legend states that they were imperial tax collectors in

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 ...

who were pious Christians. They were ordered to be arrested by

Rictius Varus Rictius Varus (Rictiovarus, Rixius Varus, Rexius Vicarius) was a Vicarius in Roman Empire, Roman Gaul at the end of the 3rd century, around the time of the Diocletianic Persecution. The ''Roman Martyrology'' contains many references to the prefect ...

, the ''praefectus-praetorii'' in

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 ...

. The two saints hid themselves (tradition holds in a cave in a forest near

) but were eventually caught, and then tortured and

beheaded Decapitation or beheading is the total separation of the head from the body. Such an injury is invariably fatal to humans and most other animals, since it deprives the brain of oxygenated blood, while all other organs are deprived of the i ...

on the high road leading to Soissons. Rufinus is one of the 140 Colonnade saints which adorn

St. Peter's Square Saint Peter's Square ( la, Forum Sancti Petri, it, Piazza San Pietro ,) is a large plaza located directly in front of St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, the pope, papal enclave and exclave, enclave inside Rome, directly west of the neighbor ...

Darenth Bowl

The Darenth bowl (dedicated to Saint Rufinus of Soissons c.450) was found in an ancient

Saxon The Saxons ( la, Saxones, german: Sachsen, ang, Seaxan, osx, Sahson, nds, Sassen, nl, Saksen) were a group of Germanic * * * * peoples whose name was given in the early Middle Ages to a large country (Old Saxony, la, Saxonia) near the Nor ...

burial ground (5th century) on the site of the former

Darenth Park Hospital Darenth Park Hospital was a healthcare facility in Darenth near Dartford in Kent, originally founded as Darenth School. History The hospital was founded by the Metropolitan Asylums Board in Darenth near Dartford in Kent as Darenth School for 500 ...

, now demolished. The glass bowl was found with 12 Saxon graves as well as a spearhead and brooches. These are now in Dartford Borough Museum.

References

287 deaths 3rd-century Christian martyrs Gallo-Roman saints Year of birth unknown {{France-saint-stub