Giuliano

Who they were

Julian was a deacon, a missionary possibly from Greece, who came with his brother Giulio, a priest, to preach in the area north of Novara, having fled the errors of heretics. They obtained permission from the emperor Theodosius to destroy pagan altars and sacred groves and build Christian churches, and together they are said to have built about a hundred churches across northern Italy.

The last two churches they built were near Lake Orta: the ninety-ninth, dedicated to Saint Lawrence, was at Gozzano, where Julian remained and died and was buried; the hundredth, on the island in the lake, was built by Giulio. Julian's relics were moved in 1360 to a new church dedicated to him at Gozzano. His feast is 7 January.

The miracles

There was never a formal cause: he has been honoured as a saint since before the Church's formal processes began.

Why that counted as sanctity

Deacon and missionary who, with his brother Giulio, built churches across northern Italy and died at Gozzano; feast 7 January.