Saint Saturninus of Toulouse was one of the "Apostles to the Gauls" sent out under the direction of Pope Fabian, during the consulate of Decius and Gratus to Christianise Gaul after the persecutions under Emperor Decius had all but dissolved the small Christian communities.

St Saturninus was the first Bishop of Toulouse. The lost Acts of Saturninus were employed as historical sources by the chronicler Gregory of Tours. The Acts placed Saturninus in the 1st century, made him one of the 72 disciples of Christ, placed him at the Last Supper. Legends associated with Saturninus state that after Saint Peter consecrated him a bishop, “he was given for his companion Papulus, later to become Saint Papulus the Martyr.” Legend states that besides Papulus, Saturninus also had Saint Honestus as a disciple.

The detail from the Acts that is selected for remembering today describes his martyrdom: to reach the Christian church Saturninus had to pass before the capitol, where there was an altar, and according to the Acts, the pagan priests ascribed the silence of their oracles to the frequent presence of Saturninus. One day they seized him and on his unshakeable refusal to sacrifice to the images they condemned him to be tied by the feet to a bull which dragged him about the town until the rope broke.

Two Christian women piously gathered up the remains of Saturninus and buried them in a "deep ditch", that they might not be profaned by the pagans. Saturnin's successors at Toulouse, Bishop Hilary and Bishop Exuperius, gave him more honourable burial, once Christian rites were no longer illicit.

Other Saints of the Day
1. Saint Brendan of Birr
2. Saint Egelwine
3. Saint Francis Fasani
4. Saint Gulstan
5. Saint Sadwen

- catholic.org