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Saint Martial
3rd century founding bishop of Limoges
SaintResearchedPre-congregation
Feast: 30 June (not on the universal Roman calendar; kept in the Roman Martyrology or local calendars)
Born
300
Died
300
Beatified
—
not needed: before formal processes
Canonised
By tradition
recognised before formal processes began
Who they were
Martial was Bishop of Limoges in the third century. St Gregory of Tours says he was one of seven bishops sent from Rome to Gaul about 250, and that he converted the people of Limoges, where his memory has always been venerated.
Later legends made him an apostle of the first century, but these are not historical.
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 first bishop and apostle of Limoges.
Connected on this site
- Gregory of Tours Saint“St Gregory of Tours says he was one of seven bishops sent from Rome to Gaul about 250, and that he converted the people of Limoges, where his memory has always been venerated.” — this site's research
Sources
- Catholic Encyclopedia (1913), via New Advent - St. Martial
- Wikidata Q726934 — dates, feast day and identifiers (CC0)
- English Wikipedia — Saint Martial (CC BY-SA)
Checked against the sources listed on 21 September 2026. Corrections welcome.