| Saint Julian the Hospitaller | |
| Birth Date: | 4th Century |
| Feast Day: | 12 February |
Saint Julian the Hospitaller is a saint venerated in the Roman Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox Church.[1] He is the patron saint of the cities of Ghent, Belgium; Saint Julian's, Malta; and Macerata, Italy.
The earliest known reference to Julian dates to the late twelfth century.[2]
There are three main theories of his origin:
The location of the hospitals built by him is also debated between the banks of the River Gardon in Provence and an island near the River Potenza heading to Macerata.
The Pater Noster (The Our Father, or Lord's Prayer) of Saint Julian can be found as early as 1353 in Boccaccio's Decameron, and is still passed on by word of mouth throughout some places in Italy. The account is included the 13th-century Legenda Aurea by the Genoan Jacobus de Voragine, a Dominican priest. Beautiful stained glass depicting Saint Julian by an unknown artist in Chartres Cathedral also dates back to the 13th century.[2] Early fresco paintings of him are found in Trento Cathedral (14th century) and the Italian: Palazzo Comunale di Assisi ('town hall').
Saint Julian is invoked as the patron of hospitality by travellers on a journey and far from home pray hoping to find safe lodging.[2]
According to Jacobus de Voragine, on the night Julian was born, his father, a man of noble blood, saw pagan witches secretly lay a curse on the boy that would make him kill both his parents. His father wanted to get rid of the child, but his mother did not let him do so. As the boy grew into a handsome young man, his mother would often burst into tears because of the sin her son was destined to commit. When he finally found out the reason for her tears, he swore he "would never commit such a sin" and "with great belief in Christ went off full of courage" as far away from his parents as he could.
Some versions say that it was his mother who told him at the age of 10, while others say it was a stag he met in the forest while hunting (a situation used in artistic depictions of the saint). After fifty days of walking he finally reached Galicia, where he married a "good woman", said to be a wealthy widow.
Twenty years later, his parents decided to go look for their now thirty-year-old son. When they arrived, they visited the altar of St James, son of Zebedee. On leaving the church they met a woman sitting on a chair outside, whom they asked for shelter for the night as they were tired. She took them in and told them that her husband, Julian, was out hunting. (This is why he is also known as the patron of hunters.) Having found their son, the mother and father were overjoyed, as was Julian's wife. She treated them well and gave them Julian's bed. But the devil went off seeking Julian and told him that his wife was with another man.[3]
Julian returned home and found two people asleep in his bed. Thinking that they were his wife and her lover, he killed them both. When he discovered his mistake, he vowed to spend the rest of his life doing charitable works. He and his wife made a pilgrimage to Rome.[3] They continued their travels until they came to a river crossing. There they built a hospice to welcome weary and sick travellers, and Julian assisted people in crossing the river.[4]
In another pious legend, the devil, disguised as a pilgrim weak from travel, was allowed into the hospice with other travellers. At midnight, the evildoer awoke, wreaked havoc in the house, causing mess and destruction. The following morning Julian saw the damage and swore never to let anyone else into his home. He was so furious he had everyone leave. Jesus went to him, again as a pilgrim, seeking rest. He asked humbly, in the name of God, for shelter. But Julian refused. After recognizing him, Julian retracted his statement and decided to help all those who needed it once again.[3]
Devotion to Saint Julian started in the Maltese Islands in the 15th century after the discovery of his relics in the city of Macerata. It was introduced by the noble family of De Astis, high-ranking in Malta at the time, who had strong connections with the Bishop of Macerata. Three churches were built in his honour before the arrival of the Knights Hospitaller: in Tabija, towards Mdina; in Luqa; and in Senglea. This latter church had a storage room for hunters, and served to popularise this devotion by means of the sailors arriving in the Three Cities. In the 16th century there existed a hospital, Italian: Ospedale di San Giuliano, in the Citadella in Gozo, which showed a great devotion to the saint. Being an order of hospitallers, the Knights of Saint John helped to further spread devotion to the saint. In 1539, they rebuilt the church in Senglea and in 1590, they built another church in the parish of Birkirkara, a section that since then has been called St Julian's. In 1891, the church was made a parish, the only one ever dedicated to the saint in Malta.