Available Sizes & Pricing

• Small Icon Print: 5" H x 4" W — $4.00
• Large Icon Print: 10" H x 8" W — $10.50
• Large Icon Print (Framed): 10" H x 8" W — $21.99

About St. Victricius of Rouen

Saint Victricius of Rouen (c. 330 – c. 407) was a Roman soldier turned missionary, author, and Bishop of Rouen. The son of a legionnaire, he initially entered military service but renounced it upon converting to Christianity, driven by a personal conviction that the shedding of blood was incompatible with his new faith. For this refusal, he was severely flogged and sentenced to death.

According to a letter by his contemporary and admirer Saint Paulinus of Nola, his guards tied him in bonds so tight they bit deep into his bones. Victricius pleaded for the minor kindness of having them loosened, but they refused. He then turned to prayer, and before the eyes of his captors, the heavy ropes miraculously dropped away from his hands without human agency. Stunned by the miracle, the guards did not dare bind him again; instead, they fearfully rushed to their general, proclaiming the truth as confessors themselves. Traditional church accounts add that when an executioner was finally sent to carry out his death sentence, the man was suddenly struck blind, rendering him unable to strike. Witnessing these continuous divine interventions, the general relented, reported the events to the emperor, and discharged Victricius in peace.

Following his discharge, he spent years as a zealous missionary, preaching among the tribes of Flanders, Hainault, and Brabant. Consecrated as Bishop of Rouen around 386, Victricius transformed his diocese by building rural parish churches, encouraging monastic life, and collecting holy relics. A close friend of Saint Martin of Tours and Saint Ambrose of Milan, his widespread reputation for wisdom led him to travel to Britain in 396 to help resolve a theological dispute among bishops there.

Later in life, when his orthodoxy was falsely impugned by detractors, he traveled to Rome and was completely exonerated by Pope Innocent I. He also authored De Laude Sanctorum ("In Praise of the Saints"), a groundbreaking theological treatise written to celebrate and defend the veneration of holy relics.

The primary feast of Saint Victricius is celebrated on August 7th (Julian Calendar), marking the day of his repose.