Saint Justus of Beauvais

Saint Justus of Beauvais
The Miracle of Saint Justus by Peter Paul Rubens
Born	c. 278 Auxerre
Died	c. 287 Saint-Just-en-Chaussée
Venerated in	Roman Catholic Church
Major shrine	relics enshrined in the cathedral of Paris
Feast	18 October
Attributes	palm of martyrdom; depicted as young boy

Saint Justus of Beauvais (c. 278—c. 287) is a semi-legendary saint of the Roman Catholic Church. He may have been a Gallo-Roman martyr, but his legend was confused with that of other saints, such as Justin of Paris.

Tradition states that he was a child of nine who was denounced as a Christian while on a trip with his father to Amiens to ransom or rescue an imprisoned relative during the persecutions of Diocletian. He was executed for confessing that he was a Christian and for refusing to give away the hiding place of his father and uncle.

After he was beheaded, Justus' body then picked up the severed head and continued to speak. Justus is thus one of the legendary cephalophores, the saintly "head-carriers" who miraculously continued to speak or move despite being decapitated. This legend was elaborated in subsequent centuries, and stated that the headless boy managed to convert pagan onlookers.

This miraculous act is said to have happened in a spot between Beauvais and Senlis now named after him: Saint-Just-en-Chaussée.

Veneration for Justus was widespread in France, Belgium, and Switzerland –where places named refer to him- and his cult spread to England as well.

Winchester claimed some of his relics from the 10th century. In England the Annales monasterii de Wintonia reports that in 924 Athelstan donated to the treasury of Winchester the head of this martyr. It is possible that this may not have been the entire head but just a fragment of it, according to one scholar.

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