Biography
“Stand fast therefore in these things and follow the example of the Lord, being firm in the faith and immovable, in love of the brotherhood kindly having affection for one to another, partners with the truth, forestalling one another in the gentleness of the Lord, despising no man.” [1] St. Polycarp was a Christian bishop early in the 2nd century. A letter addressed to him by St. Ignatius tells him to care for the Church and his own surviving epistle shows he encouraged the Philippians on the path of righteousness. Additionally, St. Iraneus praises his defense of orthodoxy and his energy in combating heresy. During a visit to Rome, St. Polycarp spoke to the bishop, Anicetus, who agreed to let the Eastern churches calculate the date of Easter in their own way. He was arrested and martyred during a pagan festival in Smyrna, when he refused to deny Christ.[2][3][4] Written by Sarah Ciotti and Fr. Hugh Feiss, OSB, STD [1] St. Polycarp, “Epistle of St. Polycarp,” in The Apostolic Fathers, ed. John Lightfood (Baker Book House: 1956), 10. [2] F.L. Cross and E.A. Livingstone, The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (London: Oxford University Press, 1974), 1107. [3] Fr. Hugh Feiss, OSB, The Martyrology of the Monastery of the Ascension, 2008. [4] Catholicpedia: The Original Catholic Encyclopedia (1917) for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. s.v. “St. Polycarp.” Thank you for praying with us. If you feel called, your Lenten offering helps carry this prayer to more hearts and languages. Contribute now