December 18 · Catholic · traditional calendar
Gatian of Tours
Gatian, also called Gatianus, is remembered as the founding bishop of Tours. The historical account based on Gregory of Tours places his mission in the third century, rather than among Christ's first-century disciples.
- Patronage
- No verified patronage is listed for this record.
- Era
- 3rd–4th century
The beginnings of the Church at Tours
The Catholic Encyclopedia places Gatian's arrival in Gaul around 250–251 and describes a long ministry establishing the Christian community at Tours. Its account relies on Gregory of Tours, a sixth-century bishop writing about his predecessor. The surviving information is limited and should not be expanded into a detailed modern biography without further evidence.
A later legend distinguished from history
Later stories made Gatian one of Christ's seventy-two disciples and said Peter personally sent him to Gaul. The encyclopedia rejects that chronology, noting the late appearance of those legends. Our earlier first-century date and assertion that he was a disciple of the apostles have therefore been corrected.
Sources and references
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