Picture: Thomas Nicolai / AAA. · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Benignus of Dijon
French saint
SaintResearchedPre-congregation
Feast: 1 November (not on the universal Roman calendar; kept in the Roman Martyrology or local calendars)
Born
200
Died
179
Beatified
—
not needed: before formal processes
Canonised
By tradition
recognised before formal processes began
Who they were
Benignus is honoured as the first herald of Christianity and patron of Dijon. It is historically certain that he died a martyr in a persecution of the third century and was publicly honoured as one.
His later Acts are legendary.
The miracles
There was never a formal cause: he has been honoured as a saint since before the Church's formal processes began.
Why that counted as sanctity
The martyr who first brought the faith to Dijon.
Sources
- Catholic Encyclopedia (1913), via New Advent - St. Benignus of Dijon
- Wikidata Q652797 — dates, feast day and identifiers (CC0)
- English Wikipedia — Benignus of Dijon (CC BY-SA)
Checked against the sources listed on 21 September 2026. Corrections welcome.