Saint Beatus of Lungern

Biography

Saint Beatus of Lungern was a convert to Christianity, baptized in England by Saint Barnabas the Apostle according to ancient tradition. He traveled to Rome, where he was ordained a priest by Saint Peter the Apostle himself and sent forth as a missionary. Beatus journeyed to Switzerland, where he dedicated his life to evangelizing the pagan inhabitants. He is said to have lived in a cave above the Lake of Thun, where tradition holds that he battled a dragon, a story often interpreted as a metaphor for driving out paganism and the power of the devil from the region. His missionary efforts bore lasting fruit, and he is venerated as the apostle of Switzerland. He is the patron of Beatenberg, Switzerland, the town named in his honor.