St. Pancras

Who they were

Pancras was a fourteen year old orphan of Phrygian origin martyred at Rome in the Diocletianic persecution. The core is ancient, with his tomb on the Via Aurelia and a basilica over it by the sixth century; the detailed life of him is later embroidery.

His two afterlives are the interesting part. First the oath: medieval Christians held that perjury sworn over Pancras's relics brought swift and visible consequences, so solemn promises were made at his altars, which turned a teenager into the patron of oaths and kept words. Second the geography: Augustine of Canterbury dedicated one of England's earliest churches to him, and the London district and railway station that carry the name Saint Pancras are this boy.

Why people turn to St. Pancras

Teenagers, with St. Dominic Savio and St. Stanislaus Kostka. And anyone making or keeping a hard promise, which covers wedding vows, business handshakes, and sobriety promises without much adjustment.

How to ask their intercession

At the vow, the contract, the pledge: one decade for the keeping of it, not just for the making.