Picture: Unkonwn, Spanish · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Fructuosus
Hispanic Christian bishop and saint (died 259)
SaintResearchedAncient RomeDate unknown
Feast: 21 January (not on the universal Roman calendar; kept in the Roman Martyrology or local calendars)
Born
200
Died
21 January 259
verified
Beatified
—
not on record
Canonised
—
not on record
Who they were
Fructuosus, Bishop of Tarragona, was arrested with his deacons Augurius and Eulogius in January 259. He confessed that he was a Christian and a bishop.
All three were burned alive on 21 January 259, dying in prayer with outstretched hands. St Augustine preached on them and Prudentius wrote a hymn in their honour.
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
A bishop burned alive with his deacons for Christ.
Sources
- Catholic Encyclopedia (1913), via New Advent - St. Fructuosus
- Wikidata Q707744 — dates, feast day and identifiers (CC0)
- English Wikipedia — Fructuosus (CC BY-SA)
Checked against the sources listed on 21 September 2026. Corrections welcome.