Romanus of Rouen | |
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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 |
Canonized | Pre-Congregation |
Major shrine | Rouen |
Feast | October 23 |
Attributes | depicted with a Gargouille[1] |
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[2] 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[3] with little authentic information.[4] He was both Lord Chancellor of France and Référendaire of France. (For Saint Romanus, Martyr, please see Romanus of Caesarea).
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.