Saint Eusebius of Vercelli, Bishop & Martyr
S. Eusebii Episcopi et Martyris
Saint Eusebius, the fourth-century Bishop of Vercelli, was a fearless defender of the divinity of Christ who suffered exile and hardship for the faith and is honoured by the Church as a martyr.
Saint Eusebius was born in Sardinia about the year 283 and was raised in Rome, where he served among the clergy. About the year 345 he was chosen as the first Bishop of Vercelli in northern Italy, and he governed that Church with such holiness and zeal that his name became renowned throughout the West.
A confessor of the faith
Saint Eusebius lived in the age of the Arian controversy, when the heresy denying the true divinity of the Son of God had gained powerful support, even at the imperial court. He united with his clergy a common life of prayer and discipline, joining the duties of a bishop to the rigour of a monk, and so became a model for the canons and clergy who came after him.
When pressed at a council to condemn the great defender of the faith, Saint Athanasius, and to abandon the doctrine of the Council of Nicæa, Saint Eusebius refused with steadfast courage. For this he was driven from his see and sent into a harsh exile in the East, where he endured ill-treatment and suffering for several years for the sake of the truth. When at length peace was restored, he returned to his flock and laboured to repair the wounds the heresy had inflicted upon the Church.
His witness today
Because of the hardships and persecutions he bore for the faith, the traditional Roman calendar honours Saint Eusebius with the title of martyr, though he died in peace about the year 371. His feast on the sixteenth of December recalls a bishop who would not bend the knee to error, and who counted exile and suffering a small price for the confession of Christ true God. In him the Church venerates the courage of her pastors in the defence of the faith.
The Collect
O God, who dost gladden us by the yearly solemnity of blessed Eusebius thy Martyr and Bishop: mercifully grant; that as we honour his heavenly birthday, so we may also rejoice in his protection.
Deus, qui nos beáti Eusébii Mártyris tui atque Pontíficis ánnua solemnitáte lætíficas: concéde propítius; ut, cujus natalícia cólimus, de ejúsdem étiam protectióne gaudeámus.
Patronage
He is honoured as the first Bishop of Vercelli and as a model for clergy who join the common life of prayer to their pastoral office.
In the Modern Calendar
In the modern calendar his feast is observed on 2 August, his traditional day of death, as an obligatory memorial and without the title of martyr.
Common Questions
When is the feast of Saint Eusebius of Vercelli?
In the calendar of the 1962 Roman Missal his feast is kept on 16 December as a Third Class feast during Advent. In the modern calendar it is observed on 2 August.
Who was Saint Eusebius?
He was the fourth-century first Bishop of Vercelli in northern Italy, a fearless defender of the divinity of Christ against the Arian heresy. He was exiled for refusing to condemn Saint Athanasius and is honoured by the traditional calendar as a martyr.
Why is he called a martyr if he died in peace?
Saint Eusebius died after his return from exile, but because of the severe sufferings and persecution he endured for the faith, the traditional Roman calendar honours him with the title of martyr. He is sometimes also called a confessor.
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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