St Volusianus of Carsulae

The only reference to this saint appears in relation the St Proculus in the Legend of the Twelve Syrians (BHL 1620-2).  This relates that St Proculus travelled from Syria to Rome with his extended family in the reign of the Emperor Julian the Apostate (361-3).  The family was imprisoned there and St Anastasius, the pater familias, was beheaded.  The rest of the family, led by St Brictius, then fled along via Cornelia, where they split up.  St Proculus went to “Castrum carsulanum”, which was probably Carsulae, where he became a priest under St Volusianus.  He then became bishop of Terni. 

The Eremità degli Arnolfi (see the Walk from Cesi) is said to stand on the site of the hermitage where St Volusianus welcomed St Proculus.

In the list of the early bishops of Terni website of the Diocese of Terni, Narni and Amelia, Bishop Proculus I was consecrated  in 304, martyred in 310 and succeeded by St Volusianus (310-20).

St Volusianus of Carsulae is otherwise unknown.

St Volusianus of Tours (18th January)

It is interesting to note that the only saint called Volusianus in the Roman Martyrology was a bishop of Tours, in 491-8.  An earlier bishop of that city, in 397-444, was St Brictius (or St Brice).  One wonders whether there is a link between these saints and those with the same names in the Legend of the Twelve Syrians, although it is not clear how such a link could arise.