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St. Ferreolus of Vienne

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Saints and feasts

St. Ferreolus of Vienne

Soldier and Martyr

Ferreolus of Vienne was a Christian military officer in Gaul, associated with St. Julian of Brioude. His refusal to offer pagan sacrifice led to imprisonment and martyrdom.

Sources

The life below remains the existing Butler-based reading, with its edition citation. The profile preserves the feast date and source title already listed in the library. Additional personal dates and historical details are shown only when separately documented.

Butler sourceAlban Butler, The Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs, and Other Principal Saints, Volume IX, Richardson and Son, Derby, for the Catholic Book Society, 1846; September 18, “St. Ferreol, Martyr,” pp. 291-292.

The reading

ⓘ Butler source

Alban Butler, The Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs, and Other Principal Saints, Volume IX, Richardson and Son, Derby, for the Catholic Book Society, 1846; September 18, “St. Ferreol, Martyr,” pp. 291-292.

Ferreolus was a military officer at Vienne in Gaul who privately held the Christian faith. Butler connects him with St. Julian of Brioude, who had stayed in his house. When persecution came, Julian withdrew to Auvergne and was later put to death there.

Ferreolus was also arrested and ordered to sacrifice. His position and honours were used as reasons why he should obey, but he answered that he valued faithfulness to God more than rank or wealth. He was scourged and imprisoned.

The traditional account describes his escape, recapture and execution near Vienne. Butler then traces the veneration of his burial place and the later remembrance of his friendship with Julian. The September 18 martyr is distinct from Ferreolus, bishop of Limoges, and other saints with a similar name.

Historical note

An original Novena Regina reading adapted and summarized from the cited pre-1962 Butler edition. This is not a transcription of Butler’s words.

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