Torquatus of Acci

Saint Torquatus of Acci is traditionally remembered as a first-century missionary bishop, sent to bring the Gospel to Hispania in the days of the Apostles. His birthplace is not known, but Christian memory places him among the Seven Apostolic Men, a band of clerics ordained in Rome by Saints Peter and Paul and dispatched to evangelize Spain. Torquatus is especially associated with the ancient town of Acci, identified with modern Guadix, where he preached Christ and is honored as the city’s first bishop, laying foundations for a local Church that would endure through centuries of trial. Whether he died as a martyr or lived as a steadfast confessor of the faith remains uncertain, yet devotion to him has long been strong. During the upheavals of the Moorish invasion, his relics were rediscovered near the Limia River and later carried to Galicia, eventually resting at Celanova, with portions shared with Guadix and other cities. He is venerated as patron of Guadix, and also of San Trocado and Allariz. His feast day is May 1.