Justus of Beauvais

Who was Justus of Beauvais?

Saint Justus of Beauvais is a semi-legendary saint of the Roman Catholic Church. He may have been a Gallo-Roman martyr, but his legend was confused with that of other saints, such as Justin of Paris.

Tradition states that he was a child of nine who was denounced as a Christian while on a trip with his father to Amiens to ransom or rescue an imprisoned relative during the persecutions of Diocletian.

He was killed either for confessing that he was a Christian or for refusing to give away the hiding place of two Christians.

After he was beheaded, Justus' body then picked up the severed head and continued to preach. Justus is thus one of the legendary cephalophores, the saintly "head-carriers" who miraculously continued to speak or move despite being decapitated. This legend was elaborated in subsequent centuries, and stated that the headless boy managed to convert pagan onlookers.

This miraculous act is said to have happened in a spot between Beauvais and Senlis now named after him: Saint-Just-en-Chaussée.