Popular in Western Europe, St. Julian the Hospitaller, sometimes known as "the Poor Man," was born into a prosperous and noble family in the early 4th century.

According to a legend, Julian was supposedly cursed as a baby to kill his parents when he grew up. His mother kept him alive even though his father wanted him dead. When he was mature enough to understand the curse, he left his family to ensure their safety.

His parents unexpectedly paid him a visit at his castle while he was hunting. They were given one of the best rooms by his wife. After the devil showed him a vision in which his wife was seen having an affair, he went back home intending to kill the person in his bed. When Julian returned from his hunt and noticed the two people in bed, he assumed they were his wife and her lover and this led him to kill both of them out of jealousy. But in reality, he killed his father and mother.

When Julian realized this, he was so horrified that he vowed to spend the rest of his life doing good deeds. He then made a pilgrimage with his spouse to a far-off nation where he founded a hospital.

The hospital was next to a river that many people regularly crossed because of the Holy Crusades. This river was a common place for people to die when crossing, so Julian took it upon himself to ferry people across and tend to the sick.

Once he helped a leper in his own bed—who later revealed himself to be a messenger of God sent to test him—he was pardoned for his mistake.

In the same way Julian had killed his parents, burglars entered their hospital one night and killed Julian and his wife.

St. Julian is considered the patron of ferrymen, innkeepers and circus performers. His feast is celebrated on February 12.

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