Saint of the Day – 20 April – St Marcellinus of Embrun born in North Africa- died 374)

Saint of the Day – 20 April – St Marcellinus of Embrun born in North Africa- died 374) Bishop – also known as Marcellinus of Gaul and Marcellin was the first bishop of Embrun from 354 AD.   He was a native of Africa.

Marcellinus, went to Rome with two other bishops of North Africa, Vincent and Domnin, to attend a synod in 313 to judge the Donatists movement.   They met the then Pope, Miltiades and from him received a mission.   They went to Nice, where they landed, they say, after taking advice of the bishops assembled in Arles in 314.   They preached the gospel to the inhabitants of Italian side of the Alps, from the shores of the sea to Vercelli, where Eusebius was chosen as bishop and where they separated.

Marcellinus and his two disciples then headed towards the Alps and arrived in Embrun.  As the main missionaries evangelising in the regions, they became the first bishops. Marcellinus became the first bishop of Embrun and Vincent, bishop of Digne.   When the Arian heresy arrived in his area, Marcellinus was forced to flee into the mountains and care for his diocese from exile.

St Marcellinus died in c 374 of natural causes.   His relics were transferred to Digne-les-Bains, France in the 10th century but they were destroyed in the anti-Christian excesses of the French Revolution.