According to St. Gregory of Tours in the sixth century, Denis, the first bishop of Paris, was martyred with Rusticus, a priest, and Eleutherius, a deacon.
The Italian-born Denis and several other bishops were sent by the pope to evangelize Gaul (France). Denis and his companions succeeded in spreading the Gospel from an island in the Seine, but were arrested during a persecution by Roman Emperor Decius. After a long imprisonment, they were beheaded and tossed into the river. Their remains were recovered and buried; a chapel built over their graves was replaced by the Abbey of Saint-Denis, now a basilica in a northern Parisian suburb. Denis is a patron of France, and of those suffering possession and headaches.
