Thursday 16 April 2020

The question you've always (or never) asked; who was St Pancras?



St Pancras is (I think) the only Saint to be named after a Railway Station.

Poor chap; he didn't have much luck in life. His mother died in childbirth, and his father died when he was just 8 years old.

The young Pancras then went to live in Rome with an uncle, and (bizarrely) turned to Christianity.

Because he refused to renounce his new faith, he was beheaded on 12th May 303 at the age of 14; and was later declared to be a 'Saint'.

I don't think he performed any miracles, or changed peoples lives particularly; he was simply punished for his beliefs, and that was enough for sainthood.

Eurostar users remember him regularly; the rest of us remember him each May 12th.

Not much of a life really.

16 comments:

  1. My grandma used to say it was, "St pancreas" station. 😂

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    Replies
    1. I think the two names are interchangeable.

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    2. That's interesting, Christina, because to my ear Pancras and pancreas sound virtually the same. Which is why, for years after I had first arrived in England, I often wondered (and never asked, Cro. HA!) why a station would be named after an organ. Till, one day, probably at St Pancras Station, I noticed that missing 'e'. Oh dear. Still, to this day when I hear St Pancr(e)as Station, or rather St Pancras International as it's called now, I can't but help visualize an inner body map.

      U

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  2. After using the station, I did the same as Christina's mother. I don't think the names are similar. One is two syllables and one is three. No matter, sad story but so honoured to have such a grand and important station named after him.

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    Replies
    1. His name will live forever; as a railway station.

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  3. He got off quite lightly. They didn't boil him in oil, cut his head off, burn him alive and eventually have to cut his heart outand feed it to the dogs because each time he miraculously survived.
    I googled Pancras and see he is a holy matryr in the Orthodox church, known as Pancratius here. Nothing about railway stations in this part of the world though.

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    Replies
    1. Yes he was just lightly beheaded; almost a pleasure in those days.

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  4. At least they picked a very handsome railway station to name him after.

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    Replies
    1. Reasonable compensation for being beheaded.

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  5. Looking at his life in Roman times life doesn't seem to have changed that much, he got beheaded for his beliefs and saving Christians. And nobody helps to save Christians these days. They get murdered by being blown up.

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  6. I may be wrong but I believe that St Pancras is responsible for the production of insulin.

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    Replies
    1. Yes, not only is there a railways station in his honour, but also a vital human organ.

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  7. I have never heard of him. I remember that some years ago the Catholic Church removed many from sainthood because they never existed and were just part of folklore.

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    Replies
    1. That doesn't surprise me; and their relics are mostly from Monkeys.

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