What is Saint Alban?
{{Infobox saint |name=Saint Alban |birth_date=unknown |death_date= disputed: 22 June 209, c.251 or 304 |feast_day=[[22 June]] |venerated_in=[[Roman Catholic Church]]; [[Anglicanism|Anglican Communion]]; [[Eastern Orthodox Church]] |image=StAlban.jpg |imagesize=200px |caption=Saint Alban |birth_place=[[Verulamium]] |death_place=Holywell Hill (formerly Holmhurst Hill), [[St Albans]] |titles=Martyr |beatified_date= |beatified_place= |beatified_by= |canonized_date= |canonized_place= |canonized_by= |attributes=Soldier with a very large cross and a sword; decapitated, with his head in a holly bush and the eyes of his executioner dropping out |patronage=converts, refugees, torture victims |major_shrine=[[St Albans Cathedral|Cathedral and Abbey Church of St Alban]] |suppressed_date= |issues= |prayer= |prayer_attrib= }} '''Sant Alban''' was the first [[British people|British]] [[Christianity|Christian]] [[martyr]].<ref>{{citation | url = http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01252b.htm | encyclopedia = Catholic Encyclopedia | title = St. Alban | publisher = New Advent}}.</ref><ref>{{citation | url = http://www.stalbans.gov.uk/leisure-and-culture/tourism-and-travel/ | publisher = St Albans District Council | work = Tourism | title = Attractions | accessdate = 2012-12-20 | archive-date = 2009-07-18 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090718212428/http://www.stalbans.gov.uk/leisure-and-culture/tourism-and-travel/ | url-status = dead }}</ref> He was a [[Roman Empire|Roman]] soldier who converted to [[Christianity]]. His home town of [[Verulamium]] is now is named [[St Albans]] after him. A priest was being chased by the Romans and Alban swapped clothes with the priest so he could escape. When they found out, the Romans ordered Alban to be killed. As he was a fine soldier, he was allowed to be beheaded by the sword than by the axe, because it was more honourable. When they cut off St. Alban's head, the executioner's eyes fell out into his hand, and he was blinded. The bones of Alban were kept in a shrine in [[St Alba