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Rufus
bishop of Metz
SaintResearchedPre-congregation
Feast: 7 November (not on the universal Roman calendar; kept in the Roman Martyrology or local calendars)
Born
400
Died
—
unknown
Beatified
—
not needed: before formal processes
Canonised
By tradition
recognised before formal processes began
Who they were
Rufus is commemorated in the Roman Martyrology on 7 November and is said to have been Bishop of Metz, though the Catholic Encyclopedia notes that his history is legendary. In the ninth century his relics were moved to Gau-Odernheim in Hesse, in the Diocese of Mainz.
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
Honoured as an early Bishop of Metz.
Sources
- Catholic Encyclopedia (1913), via New Advent - Saints Rufus
- Wikidata Q720085 — dates, feast day and identifiers (CC0)
- English Wikipedia — Rufus of Metz (CC BY-SA)
Checked against the sources listed on 22 September 2026. Corrections welcome.