Portal:Catholic Church/Patron Archive/September 25

Saint Fermin of Amiens (also Firmin, from Latin, Firminus; in Spanish, Fermín) is one of many locally venerated Catholic saints. Fermin is the co-patron of Pamplona, where his feast, the 'San Fermín', is forever associated with the Encierro or 'Running of the Bulls' made famous by Ernest Hemingway. Fermin was long venerated also at Amiens, where he met martyrdom.

Fermin is said to have been the son of a Roman of senatorial rank in Pamplona in the 3rd century, who was converted to Christianity. According to tradition, he was baptised by Saint Saturnin at the spot now known as the Pocico de San Cernin, the "Small Well of San Cernin," across from the facade of the church dedicated to St Cernin, which is built on the foundations of a pagan temple.

In Toulouse, the earliest church dedicated to Notre-Dame du Taur ("Our Lady of the Bull") still exists, though rebuilt; though the 11th century Basilica of Saint Sernin, the largest surviving Romanesque structure in France, has superseded it, the church is said to be built where the bull stopped, but more credibly must in fact be on a site previously dedicated to a pre-Christian sacred bull, perhaps the bull of Mithras.

Fermin was ordained a priest in Toulouse, according to the local legend, and returned to Pamplona as its first bishop. On a later voyage preaching the gospel, Fermin was beheaded in Amiens, France, on September 25, AD 303.

Attributes: cloth of a bishop, holding his own head, with sword or unicorn
Patronage: Amiens, France, Lesaka, Spain, Navarre, Spain, Pamplona, Spain
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