St. Julian the Hospitaller
Feast 02-12
Patron of
About
Julian the Hospitaller is a legendary saint whose story was widely told in medieval Europe. According to tradition, he was a nobleman who, after a prophecy that he would kill his parents, fled his home in horror. He married and prospered, but one day his parents arrived seeking him while he was away; his wife welcomed them and gave them her own bed.
Returning at night, Julian mistook the sleeping couple for his wife and a lover and killed them both. Overcome with remorse, he devoted the rest of his life to penance and service. With his wife he built a hospice beside a dangerous river, ferrying travelers across and caring for the sick and poor.
One stormy night he carried a leper across the river and warmed him in his own bed; the leper revealed himself as Christ, announcing that Julian's sins were forgiven. He is venerated as the patron saint of innkeepers, ferrymen, and travelers.
Suggested prayer
O God, who revealed yourself to St. Julian the Hospitaller in the leper he carried across the river, grant through his intercession that innkeepers, ferrymen, and all who welcome travelers may see Christ in every stranger. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.