Feast of St. Giusto – November 2, 2026

History of Feast of St. Giusto

The Roman Emperors began to take stringent measures against Christians toward the end of 200 A.D. Previously thought to be a harmless group, the emperors began harassing and killing those who refused to abandon their beliefs.

Many of these early Christian martyrs became canonized; towns and villages across Europe held festivals in honor of their favorite or patron saints on their feast days.

Justus lived near Trieste during Emperor Diocletian’s reign (284 to 305 A.D.) and had converted to Christianity. Most citizens were aware of and unconcerned by Justus’ odd faith.

He was brought to the Roman authorities and implicated in sacrilegious acts despite his stellar reputation, or perhaps because of it. The Emperor had commanded that all Christians offer sacrifices to the gods; anyone who refused risked undergoing execution.

Mannacio, the local governor, summoned Justus and demanded that he make a sacrifice to pagan Roman gods, which he refused. Mannacio had Justus whipped and imprisoned to force him to reconsider his decision.

He faced trial under Roman law. He was found guilty and sentenced to death by drowning because he continued to refuse to sacrifice to the Roman gods. According to local traditions, he was thrown from a small vessel into the Gulf of Trieste, just offshore of the present-day Promontory of Sant’Andrea.

In a dream on the night of Justus’ death, Sebastian the priest saw a vision that Justus’ body had washed ashore despite the weights that were supposed to keep it in place. Sebastian assembled his fellow Christians to find his body, which they discovered at ‘Riva Grumula.’ They buried Justus along the beach where they found his body.

Later in the fifth century, they moved his body to a hill and erected a Christian basilica in his honor.