Justus and Pastor
Encyclopedia
Saints Justus and Pastor (died ca. 304) are venerated as Christian
martyr
s. According to their Acts, they were two schoolboys (Justus was 13 years old, Pastor less than 9) who were killed for their faith during the persecution of Christians by the Roman Emperor Diocletian
. Flogged and beheaded
outside the Spanish
city of Alcalá de Henares
(known in Roman times as Complutum), they are today considered the patron saint
s of both Alcalá and Madrid
. They are mentioned by Prudentius
.
. In 1568, they were brought back to Alcalá and interred beneath the high altar
of the city's Cathedral, which is named for them. The ancient Cathedral is still in daily use, and the Saints' tomb is accessible to the public.
The story of Justus and Pastor is probably best known to the public due to its mention in the 2001 film The Others
by Spanish director Alejandro Amenábar
.
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
martyr
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
s. According to their Acts, they were two schoolboys (Justus was 13 years old, Pastor less than 9) who were killed for their faith during the persecution of Christians by the Roman Emperor Diocletian
Diocletian
Diocletian |latinized]] upon his accession to Diocletian . c. 22 December 244 – 3 December 311), was a Roman Emperor from 284 to 305....
. Flogged and beheaded
Decapitation
Decapitation is the separation of the head from the body. Beheading typically refers to the act of intentional decapitation, e.g., as a means of murder or execution; it may be accomplished, for example, with an axe, sword, knife, wire, or by other more sophisticated means such as a guillotine...
outside the Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
city of Alcalá de Henares
Alcalá de Henares
Alcalá de Henares , meaning Citadel on the river Henares, is a Spanish city, whose historical centre is one of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites, and one of the first bishoprics founded in Spain...
(known in Roman times as Complutum), they are today considered the patron saint
Patron saint
A patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person...
s of both Alcalá and Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
. They are mentioned by Prudentius
Prudentius
Aurelius Prudentius Clemens was a Roman Christian poet, born in the Roman province of Tarraconensis in 348. He probably died in Spain, as well, some time after 405, possibly around 413...
.
Veneration
Relics believed to be those of Justus and Pastor were discovered in the 8th century and taken to HuescaHuesca
Huesca is a city in north-eastern Spain, within the autonomous community of Aragon. It is also the capital of the Spanish province of the same name and the comarca of Hoya de Huesca....
. In 1568, they were brought back to Alcalá and interred beneath the high altar
Altar
An altar is any structure upon which offerings such as sacrifices are made for religious purposes. Altars are usually found at shrines, and they can be located in temples, churches and other places of worship...
of the city's Cathedral, which is named for them. The ancient Cathedral is still in daily use, and the Saints' tomb is accessible to the public.
The story of Justus and Pastor is probably best known to the public due to its mention in the 2001 film The Others
The Others (2001 film)
The Others is a 2001 psychological horror film by the Spanish-Chilean director Alejandro Amenábar, starring Nicole Kidman. It is inspired partly by the novella The Turn of the Screw....
by Spanish director Alejandro Amenábar
Alejandro Amenábar
Alejandro Fernando Amenábar Cantos is a Spanish- Chilean film director. Amenábar was born in Santiago, Chile to a Spanish mother and Chilean father, but the family moved to Spain just one year after his birth...
.