Saint Cyril of Jerusalem, Bishop, Confessor & Doctor
S. Cyrilli Hierosolymitani Episcopi Confessoris et Ecclesiae Doctoris
Saint Cyril of Jerusalem (c. 313–386) was Bishop of Jerusalem, a Father and Doctor of the Church, remembered above all for his Catechetical Lectures instructing those preparing for Baptism. His feast is kept on 18 March.
Saint Cyril was born about the year 313 and became Bishop of Jerusalem around the middle of the fourth century. His episcopate fell in a time of great doctrinal struggle in the Church, when the errors of Arianism, which denied the full divinity of the Son of God, troubled many of the faithful. For his fidelity to the orthodox faith Cyril suffered much: he was driven from his see into exile more than once by those who opposed sound doctrine, and he bore these trials with patience, returning each time to care for his flock.
Teacher of the Faithful
Saint Cyril is best known for his Catechetical Lectures, a series of instructions given to those preparing for Baptism and to the newly baptized in the holy city of Jerusalem. In them he explains the articles of the Creed, the meaning of the sacraments, and the Christian life with clarity and warmth, drawing his hearers to a living faith. These lectures are among the most valuable witnesses we possess to the belief and worship of the early Church, and through them the voice of a fourth-century bishop still teaches the faithful today.
Saint Cyril took part in the Church’s defence of the true faith and is counted among the Fathers who upheld the doctrine of the Council of Nicaea. He died in Jerusalem about the year 386, having governed his Church through long years of difficulty with constancy and gentleness. In 1882 he was declared a Doctor of the Church, a recognition of the enduring worth of his teaching.
The Collect
Grant, we beseech Thee, O almighty God, that by the intercession of blessed Cyril Thy Bishop, we may so know Thee, the one true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent, that we may be worthy to be numbered for ever among the sheep that hear His voice. Through the same our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.
Da nobis, quaesumus, omnipotens Deus, beato Cyrillo Pontifice intercedente, te solum verum Deum, et quem misisti Iesum Christum ita cognoscere; ut inter oves, quae vocem eius audiunt, perpetuo connumerari mereamur. Per eundem Dominum nostrum Iesum Christum Filium tuum, qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.
Patronage
Saint Cyril of Jerusalem is venerated as a Doctor of the Church and a teacher of the faith, especially honoured by those who instruct catechumens and prepare souls for the sacraments.
In the Modern Calendar
In the modern calendar, this feast is observed on 18 March as an optional memorial.
Common Questions
Who was Saint Cyril of Jerusalem?
He was a fourth-century Bishop of Jerusalem and a Doctor of the Church, best known for his Catechetical Lectures instructing those preparing for Baptism, and remembered for his patient fidelity to the faith amid the Arian controversy.
When is his feast day?
His feast is kept on 18 March in both the traditional calendar of the 1962 Missal and the modern calendar.
Why are his Catechetical Lectures important?
They explain the Creed, the sacraments, and the Christian life to new believers in the early Church, and so are among the clearest surviving witnesses to the faith and worship of fourth-century Christians.
See where this feast falls in the Church’s year on the liturgical calendar, or find a Traditional Latin Mass near you.
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