Feast day: January 20
Saint Fabian was a farmer near Rome who traveled into the city one day as the clergy and townspeople were getting ready to elect a new pope. Tradition tells us that when Fabian arrived to watch the election a dove flew into the city and landed on his head. Astounded, the clergy and townsfolk took this as a sign from God and unanimously chose Fabian to be their new Pope.
Fabian’s holiness and purity guided his reign. He served his people for 14 years before he was martyred during the persecution of Decius.
(Image Giovanni di Paolo, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)