St. Marcellus the Centurion

St. Marcellus the Centurion (died 298) was an officer of the Roman legion stationed in Mauretania, at Tingis — the modern Tangier in Morocco. According to his authentic and moving acts, during a public festival held to celebrate the emperor's birthday, with its sacrifices to the pagan gods, Marcellus could no longer reconcile his Christian faith with the idolatry bound up in military service. Before the assembled troops he cast down his soldier's belt, arms, and insignia and declared that he served Jesus Christ, the eternal King.

Arrested for this open renunciation, he was brought to trial, where he calmly repeated his confession, and was condemned and beheaded for refusing to sacrifice to the gods and for abandoning his military oath for Christ. The judge who tried him, Cassian, was himself soon martyred for protesting the sentence. Marcellus's acts are among the most historically reliable of the martyr records, and he is venerated as a saint and a witness against compromising the faith.