There are several saints named Rufus, of which the Roman Martyrology records ten; historical mention is made of the following ones, which have liturgical feasts:
On 1 August, Rufus, with several companions who, according to the most reliable manuscripts of the "Martyrologium Hieronymianum" died at
Tomi, the place being afterwards by mistake changed to Philadelphia (cf. Quentin, "Les martyrologes historiques", 337).
On 27 August, two martyrs named Rufus at Capua (see
Rufus and Carpophorus) -- one, whose name also appears as Rufinus in the "Martyrologium Hieronymianum" (ed. cit., 111). The other is said to have suffered with a companion, Carponius, in
Diocletian's persecution circa 304 AD (cf. "Bibliotheca hagiographica latina", II, 1070; Acta SS., VI August, 18–19).
On 25 September, several martyrs at
Damascus, among them one named Rufus.
On 7 November, a
Rufus of Metz, who is said to have been
Bishop of Metz; his history, however, is legendary. His name was inserted at a later date in an old manuscript of the "Martyrologium Hieronymianum"(ed. cit., 140). In the ninth century his relics were transferred to
Gau-Odernheim in
Hesse,
Diocese of Mainz.
On 12 November, Rufus, legend, without any historical proof, the supposed first
Bishop of Avignon, who is perhaps identical with Rufus, the disciple of Paul (21 November). [cf.
Louis Duchesne, "Fastes épiscopaux de l'ancienne Gaule", I, 258;
Duprat in "Mémoires de l'Académie de Vaucluse" (1889), 373 sqq.; (1890), 1 sqq., 105 sqq.].
On 21 November, Rufus the disciple of the
Apostles, who lived at Rome and to whom
Saint Paul sent a greeting, as well as he did also to the mother of Rufus (Romans 16:13).
St. Mark says in his Gospel (xv, 21) that
Simon of Cyrene was the father of Rufus, and as Mark wrote his Gospel for the Roman Christians, this Rufus is probably the same as the one to whom Paul sent a salutation [cf.
Cornely, "Commentar. in Epist. ad Romanos" (Paris, 1896), 778 sq.].
On 28 November, a Roman martyr Rufus, probably identical with the
Rufinianus who was buried in the Catacomb of Generosa on the Via Portuensis, and who is introduced in the legendary Acts of the martyrdom of
St. Chrysogonus (cf.
Paul Allard, "Histoire des persécutions", IV, 371 sq.).