Romanus of Rouen

Romanus of Rouen
Status of Romanus resting on a column in the doorway of the Rouen cathedral library.
Bishop
Born	Unknown
Died	c. 640 Kingdom of the Franks
Venerated in	Eastern Orthodox Church Roman Catholic Church
Major shrine	Rouen
Feast	October 23
Patronage	Archdiocese of Rouen, City of Rouen

Saint Romanus of Rouen (French: Romain; reconstructed Frankish: *Hruomann; died c. 640 AD) was a scribe, clerical sage, and bishop of Rouen. He would have lived under Dagobert I (629–39), though his date of birth is unknown. His life is known in legend and tradition and is shown in the stained glass windows (c. 1521) and south gate of Rouen Cathedral and the stained glass windows of the église Saint-Godard (1555). The Catholic Encyclopedia claims that his legend has little historical value with little authentic information. He was both Lord Chancellor of France and Référendaire of France.

The city's autumn "foire Saint-Romain" was set to his feast day on the "10th day of the Kalends of November" (i.e. 23 October) around 1090, at the same date as his cult was spread to the whole diocese of Rouen.

His mother Félicité lamented her sterility until one night an angel appeared to Romain's father announcing that a child would be born in his house. Very young, Romanus was sent to the king's court. This was common for young aristocrats of the time - those who went were known as nourris, meaning that they effectively carried out domestic duties to the court in return for some education, before being sent back to the provinces as bishops or counts. There Romanus met saints Eligius and Audoin. When the episcopal seat of Rouen became vacant, the college of canons voted for Romanus and the king consented to their choice, offering Romain a cross.

His feast day is traditionally celebrated in the archdiocese of Rouen on 23 October, as a Triple Feast - First Class. Today they are often transferred to the following Sunday, in contravention of the date decreed for the feast by archbishop Guillaume Bonne-Ame in around 1090.