{"id":5028,"date":"2025-05-12T21:30:00","date_gmt":"2025-05-12T20:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/?p=5028"},"modified":"2025-05-12T21:30:12","modified_gmt":"2025-05-12T20:30:12","slug":"st-pancras-may-12th","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/st-pancras-may-12th\/","title":{"rendered":"St Pancras May 12th"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Ruins of St Pancras, Canterbury Photo: K Flude (note the reused Roman Bricks.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Pancras means ‘all-powerful’ in Greek. St Pancras was a 14 year old who refused to give up his Christian Faith during the persecution of Christians by the Emperor Diocletian. He was beheaded on the Via Aurelia, traditionally, on 12 May 303 AD. His youth makes him the Patron Saint of children, but he is also the patron saint of <\/strong>jobs and health. He is ‘invoked’ against cramps, false witnesses, headaches, and perjury. His body was buried in the Catacombs, but his head is kept in a reliquary in the Church of Saint Pancras in Rome, where he was buried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ice Saints<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

He is also one of the Ice Saints.\u00a0 These are saints with feast days from May 11th to May 14th.\u00a0 They are: St.\u00a0Mamertus<\/a>, St.\u00a0Pancras<\/a>, and St.\u00a0Servatius<\/a>\u00a0(and in some countries,\u00a0Saint Boniface of Tarsus<\/a> – Wikipedia). They represent a belief that there was often a cold snap in early May.\u00a0 Although modern statistics disprove this, it is however true that a late frost can cause havoc with crops.\u00a0 So\u00a0 the Ice Saints help persuade farmers to delay sowing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In England, we have a saving ‘never cast\u00a0 a clout while may is out’.\u00a0 Which suggest you keep a coat at hand while the May flowers (Hawthorn) are still out, as it can be cold even in May. For more on the Folklore of Hawthorn -see my post here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

St Pancras in England<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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St Pancras, Old Church, London (Photo: Kevin Flude)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Pope Gregory is said to have given St Augustine relics from St Pancras when his mission came to Kent in 597AD. They built a church dedicated to St Pancras. The ruins still survive in the grounds of what is now St Augustine’s, Canterbury (see picture at tope of post).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This story is partly responsible for the claims that St Pancras Old Church, in Camden (pictured above) is a very old foundation. The idea being that there was a late Roman place of worship here. But there is very little solid evidence for this. It is also argued that, if it isn’t late Roman, then it dates to just after 604AD. This is when St Mellitus, sent by St Augustine, established St Pauls Cathedral. It is suggested that he also founded St Pancras Church. St Pancras’ Church was a Prebend of St Pauls Cathedral (a Prebend provides the stipend (pay) to support a Canon of a Cathedral). But this is not evidence it was established as early as the Cathedral was, and there really isn’t any other credible evidence for a 604 date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the Church was restored, the architects said it was mostly Tudor work with traces of Norman architecture. However, the suggested finding of a Roman tile or two, reused in the fabric, is used as evidence to keep the legend going. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you read the Wikipedia page, you will see evidence of two strands to the contributions. One is playing down the legends of its early foundation. The other trying to keep hold of its place as among the ‘earliest sites of Christian worship’. Read the wikipedia page here: https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/St_Pancras_Old_Church<\/a> to make up your own mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is a lovely Church, on an impressive site, with links to Thomas Hardy, and Sir John Soane whose tomb is the design inspiration for the iconic Red Telephone Box.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The End of Hardy’s tree<\/a><\/blockquote>