St. Longinus

St. Longinus is the name given by ancient Christian tradition to the Roman soldier who, as the Gospel of John relates, pierced the side of the crucified Christ with a lance, from which flowed blood and water. He is also often identified with the centurion who, seeing how Jesus died, proclaimed, "Truly this man was the Son of God." The Gospels do not name this soldier; the name Longinus, drawn from the Greek word for lance, appears in later tradition, especially the apocryphal Acts of Pilate.

According to that tradition, the soldier was converted by what he witnessed at Calvary, left the army, was instructed in the faith, and became a monk or preacher, at last suffering martyrdom for Christ. While the historical details cannot be verified, the Church honors the figure of Longinus as a symbol of the pagan world brought to faith at the foot of the cross, and his supposed relics and the Holy Lance were venerated through the ages. He is commemorated on 15 March.