Sometimes, a quote is best. Terry Jones (saints.sqpn.com) wrote of Romanus, "Noted for being backward, shy, introverted, and a lousy preacher..." Mr. Jones then went on to say how Saint Romanus succeeded in winning many converts.
When his uncle died (for a discussion of the year, see the rant below), he returned to Le Mans for the interment. No sooner was the good Julian laid to rest than other dying Christians expressed their wishes to repose near this certain saint (Santo Subito!). Rather than go back on the circuit, Romanus asked permission to develop a consecrated cemetery, then a basilica. He and some Christian brothers formed a minor monastic order, the Grave Diggers, dedicated to... well, digging graves.
Eventually, as his life began to ebb, he made one trip back to Rome (which by that point was also on the outbound tide). He had promised Bishop Pavace, Julian's successor, that he'd return. He kept his promise, though he died shortly after. They laid him to rest beside his uncle.
NB. The best (only) illustrations I could find of Saints Julian and Romanus, including the one ranted about below) are the stained glass windows at the Cathedrale Saint-Julien in Le Mans. Unfortunately, the post would not load with them embedded. C'est domage.
Someone's got to make a decision and it might as well be me. First, Julian and Clement were fourth century saints. Not first; not third. The depiction of Peter investing Julian was metaphorical, in the sense that all popes are Peter's successors, with all the apostolic inheritance implied. Clement, like the date 117, were just errors. Sorry, got a little confused there. We meant to say Marcellus, or Marcellinus, or maybe Julius, but we had to change it because it sounded too much like Julian and would confuse the listeners.
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