Pope Saint Callistus I

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Saint Callistus I

Today we celebrate the memorial of Pope Saint Callistus I, a martyr of the early Church. He was martyred around the year 222/3 and to him we owe the establishment of the first Ember Days as wide practices in the Church. Ember Days were/are formal days set aside for prayer and fasting in preparation for certain feasts or certain days on the Calendar. One of the Roman Catacombs bears his name as it was the first public cemetery for the Christians. He was a strong proponent of the proper understanding of the Three Divine Persons of the Blessed Trinity, rigidly maintaining the unity and the communion of the Three Persons of the Holy Trinity in the Divinity of the One God. He was a major player in the lapsi controversy of the early Church, having modified the previous discipline of the early Church so that those who have committed grave sins might be able to restore communion with the Church through penance. While he was a strong defender of the doctrines and disciplines of the Church he was very mild and gentle and kind in dealing with the faithful on a personal level. As the Pope, as the Vicar of Christ on earth and the Successor of Blessed Peter, he strove always to imitate our Lord’s mission as the merciful Good Shepherd. He was martyred by a rioting mob of pagans and non-believers, after which his body was thrown into a well. Later on his body was recovered and buried in the cemetery of the Calepodius Family. At a later point his relics were enshrined in the Church of Santa Maria in Trastevere. An old religious book cites this about the connection between his life so many centuries ago and our lives today: “The example of Saint Callistus teaches us the great value of Christlike mercy coupled with the courage which springs from complete loyalty to the Faith.” Let us trust in the faith that has been handed on to us, it is a strong faith and it holds of the truths of Jesus Christ and the mysteries of God in its sacred chambers of Scripture and Tradition. May our faith be the foundation of our lives and show us the way to salvation! Amen.


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Patron: Cemetery workers.
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Symbols: Window; model of church; stone; well; millstone or grindstone; papal tiara; a triple cross (papal symbol).
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Things to Do:
Christians have always cared for the dead, particularly because we believe in the resurrection of the body. We should remember to pray for the dead (a spiritual work of mercy), visit cemeteries and pray for the departed souls, particularly those who have no one to pray for them.
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Take a virtual tour of the Catacombs of St. Callistus: http://www.catacombe.roma.it/en/dettaglio.html
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Collect: God of mercy, hear the prayers of your people that we may be helped by Saint Callistus, whose martyrdom we celebrate with joy. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.