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Saint Gaius (Caius) of Milan was an early bishop of that see, traditionally placed in the third century and honored as a saint by both the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches. Tradition links him as disciple of Saint Anathalon (or, in some accounts, of the Apostle Barnabas) and preserves legendary ties to the apostolic age and the conversion of Milanese martyrs. His feast is kept on 27 September; his relics rest in the Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio.
Saint Gaius, also called Caius or Caio, is remembered as Bishop of Milan in the early centuries of the Church. Historical notices place his episcopate in the early third century, while Orthodox tradition sometimes regards him as the first bishop of Milan in the first century. He is said to have been a disciple of his predecessor Saint Anathalon; other sources present him as a disciple of the Apostle Barnabas, whom Milanese tradition holds as the city's first bishop.
Almost nothing is known with certainty of his pastoral labors. Medieval texts such as the eleventh-century Historia Dataria add legendary details: that he was present in Rome at the martyrdom of Saints Peter and Paul, and that he converted Saints Vitalis, Valeria, Gervasius, and Protasius. German tradition further relates that Bishop Anathalon named him successor in the time of Nero, that he suffered yet survived the Neronian persecution, baptized Vitalis and his sons, and designated Castricianus as his own successor. A later pious identification equates him with the centurion Caius Oppius who confessed Christ at the Cross and, after accompanying Saint Ignatius to martyrdom, was retained by the Christians of Milan and ordained their bishop.
He died at Milan, according to the sources, on 26 September (the Church keeps his feast on the 27th), around the year 300 or, in legendary dating, about 85. His body was buried in a cemetery near the former Basilica Naboriana; the relics were later translated to the Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio, where his cult has continued. After his death a period without recorded bishops is noted in the Milanese lists. He is honored as a saint in both the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches.
May Saint Gaius intercede for us, that we may serve the Church with quiet fidelity even when little of our labor is remembered on earth.
Sources: Wikidata Wikipedia Causes of Saints Also listed Wikidata
General Roman Calendar · Liturgical Calendar API
