Why has St Pancras got a station named after him?

Time for some useless information!

I noticed from the missal that today is the feast of St Pancras, and I was wondering how he ended up giving his name to a station in London - a very smart station I might add. So I turned to a very well-known internet encyclopedia beginning with a W, only to discover a fascinating piece of useless info.  You will have noticed today a drop in temperature - yes? Well apparently there has been a tradition in various parts of Northern Europe where these days in May are often colder than what's gone before, a kind of last gasp of winter. And the saints whose feasts fall around now, including Pancras are known as the "Ice Saints", zimni ogrodnicy in Polish (cold gardeners), ledovi muzi in Czech (ice men) etc.

Anyway, to get back to Pancras. He was a Roman lad (left, a statue in Barcelona) originally from Phrygia in present day Turkey, who converted to Christianity and got beheaded for it aged just 14 in the persecution under Diocletian. This happened out on the via Aurelia, one of the main Roman roads leading west out of the city. A basilica was built there around the year 500 by Pope Symmachus, and later that century Pope Gregory the Great had a devotion to St Pancras. Now it was Gregory who sent St Augustine over to England to evangelise, and Augustine brought the devotion with him. Many parishes were dedicated to him in southern England, including one in what was then out in the country outside the city of London. This is now known as "Old St Pancras" and its Victorian successor church (right) can be found in the streets of the Somerstown area. It should not be confused with the more prominent and better known New St Pancras half a mile away along Euston Road.

And, lo and behold, what stands adjacent to the ancient church site, but St Pancras Station with its fantastic Eurostar terminal and beautiful hotel. All of which owes its name to a poor lad who gave his life for the Faith way back in ancient Rome.