00:00In the heart of the 3rd century, as the Roman Empire attempted to crush the Christian faith,
00:05A young man stands out for his courage and fervor, Quentin.
00:10A Roman citizen of high birth, he was not destined for the sword or senatorial honors.
00:15but to a much greater mission.
00:18Driven by fervent faith, Quentin leaves the grandeur of the eternal city
00:23to bring the gospel to the people of Gaul, which was then largely pagan.
00:28It was first in the Amiens region that he displayed his zeal,
00:31preaching the word of Christ with an eloquence that touches hearts.
00:36Then he settled in Augusta Viromandou, in Rome, a city which would one day bear his name, Saint-Quentin.
00:44But the fury of Emperor Diocletian, fiercely opposed to Christians,
00:49it even reaches its farthest reaches.
00:51Prefect Rictiovarus, a cruel and implacable man,
00:55is tasked with hunting down and persecuting the faithful.
00:59Quentin is quickly identified as a leader of this new religion.
01:04Arrested, the young Roman is ordered to renounce his faith
01:07and to offer sacrifices to the pagan gods.
01:10Quentin refuses with unwavering firmness.
01:13The tortures then followed one after another, of unimaginable brutality.
01:18The rack that dislocates limbs, the whip, the red-hot iron,
01:23the molten lead that is poured over his body.
01:27His courage is such that he defies his executioners.
01:30reminding them of the vanity of their idols and the truth of Christ.
01:35Each torture, far from breaking his spirit,
01:38seems to strengthen his resolve,
01:41even inspiring some guards.
01:44One night, a miracle occurs.
01:47His chains fall away.
01:49The doors of his prison open.
01:51He ran away,
01:52but don't try to hide forever.
01:56Found a few days later,
01:57on the banks of the Somme,
01:59Quentin was finally beheaded on October 31st.
02:03His body was then thrown into the river.
02:05But legend has it that he was miraculously found
02:08and subsequently honored.
02:11Above all, we remember Quentin for his superhuman courage.
02:15and of absolute fidelity to his convictions.
02:19He is the symbol of an unwavering faith.
02:22even in the face of the most atrocious death,
02:24a model of perseverance and determination.
02:29Today,
02:30Saint Quentin is the patron saint of the city that bears his name.
02:33and numerous corporations,
02:35including locksmiths,
02:37the doormen and the surgeons.
02:40His story,
02:41It is that of total commitment to an ideal,
02:44a beacon for all those who
02:46even today,
02:47defend their values with fervor,
02:49reminding us that the power of the mind
02:52can triumph over the greatest violence.
02:54and the strength of the spirit
