Picture: Jean-Pol GRANDMONT · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Longinus
Roman soldier, and saint, who pierced the side of Jesus
SaintFull write-upAncient RomePre-congregation
Feast: 15 March (not on the universal Roman calendar; kept in the Roman Martyrology or local calendars)
Born
100
Died
100
Beatified
—
not needed: before formal processes
Canonised
By tradition
recognised before formal processes began
Who they were
At Jerusalem, commemoration of Saint Longinus, venerated as the soldier who opened the side of the crucified Lord with a lance.
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
The Roman Martyrology remembers him on 16 October as the man venerated as the soldier who pierced the side of the crucified Lord.
Sources
- Roman Martyrology, 16 October (Italian Bishops' Conference, Santo del giorno)
- Wikidata Q319947 — dates, feast day and identifiers (CC0)
- English Wikipedia — Longinus (CC BY-SA)
Checked against the sources listed on 22 September 2026. Corrections welcome.