St Denis

Denis was born and grew up in Italy, when Christianity was still very new.  When he became a priest, he was sent to France to tell people about Jesus.  He was made the first Bishop of Paris, the capital city of France.  The ruler of France began to punish the people who believed in Jesus, because he didn’t want to believe in Jesus.  So one day, Bishop Denis was put into prison with his priest and deacon, Rusticus and Eleutherius.  After a long time in jail, Bishop Denis and his companions were killed because they would not deny their faith in Jesus.  Their bodies were thrown into the river in Paris and the Christians in Paris found them and buried them.  They built a chapel over the tomb so they could remember their great Bishop and his companions and how they died because of their faith in Jesus.  That little chapel has become the very famous Abbey of St. Denis in France and the French people have never forgotten this great Saint who brought the Gospel to their country.