The relics of St. Julian were a powerful aid to prayer in the ancient world. The great “golden-tongued” preacher, St. John Chrysostom, used St. Julian’s life and example as a model for his congregations. Julian’s relics were known to be helpful in exorcising evil spirits.

Julian was a senator from Cilicia, which is in modern-day Turkey. He was arrested in 305 during a persecution of Christians and was subjected to many kinds of torture. He was even paraded around the region for a year as an example to other Christians. He was finally killed by being sewn into a bag full of snakes and scorpions and dumped in the sea. Whether or not this actually happened or is an exaggeration is difficult to tell, but suffice it to say that he suffered and met a painful death. His body was somehow recovered and transferred to Antioch.

One thing is clear: the people of Antioch in the fourth century had a very real and vigorous devotion to St. Julian, and relied upon his intercession. Antioch depended upon water travel for commerce, so perhaps his intercession was sought for sailors and those braving difficult voyages. After all, no voyage could be as terrible as one with snakes and scorpions for sailing companions. Some of St. Julian’s relics rest in the reliquary chapel of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart on Notre Dame’s campus.

St. Julian of Antioch, you were killed by being sewn into a bag full of snakes and scorpions—pray for us!

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Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Julian of Antioch is in the public domain. Last accessed February 6, 2025 on Wikimedia Commons.