Magnus

Saint Magnus, known in Italian as Magno, served as Archbishop of Milan from 518 until about 530, shepherding the Church in a troubled age under the rule of the Arian king Theodoric the Great. Little is recorded of his life, yet what remains points to a pastor of deep compassion. Tradition preserves the words of his funeral epitaph, which praises him for remarkable charity, especially his care for prisoners of war—an image of a bishop whose heart was moved by the suffering of others and who sought to make Christ’s mercy tangible in public hardship. Magnus died in 530, and his body was laid to rest in the Basilica of Sant’Eustorgio in Milan. Over the centuries the faithful continued to honor him, and his relics were formally examined in the Middle Ages. Devotion to him is especially strong in the town of Legnano, where he is honored as patron and where a great basilica bears his name. His feast day is celebrated on November 1.