Popular devotion December 2Bishop

Saint Chromatius of Aquileia

Learned bishop of Aquileia, friend of Saint Jerome and defender of Saint John Chrysostom.

Stained-glass window, Church of St. John, Thür, Germany. Photo: GFreihalter, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Who was Saint Chromatius of Aquileia?

Chromatius was a priest of Aquileia, in northeastern Italy, and became its bishop around 388. A friend of Saint Jerome and of Rufinus, he encouraged their translations of Scripture and tried to make peace between them when they quarreled. He courageously supported Saint John Chrysostom when Chrysostom was unjustly exiled, and he guided his people during the barbarian invasions. He died around 407, and many of his sermons, rediscovered in the 20th century, show him as a warm and practical preacher.

Feast day and traditions

Pope Benedict XVI dedicated one of his teachings on the Church Fathers to him in 2007. Aquileia, with its early Christian basilica and mosaics, keeps his memory.

Prayer

Saint Chromatius, peacemaker and teacher, help us love God's Word and bring harmony where there is division. Amen.

Novena

To pray a novena that ends on the eve of the feast, begin on November 23 and finish on December 1.

Mass readings

Read the Mass readings for December 2 from the US bishops (USCCB).

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