Born in Syria around the year 50 AD, Ignatius converted to Christianity and, along with his friend St. Polycarp, was a student of St. John the Apostle. St. Peter made Ignatius the bishop of Antioch. During this time, the Roman emperor Domitian began his persecution of the Christians, and Ignatius remained unwavering as the shepherd of his flock, inspiring hope in his people and working for—and achieving—peace with Rome. When Trajan became the Roman Emperor, the persecutions resumed. Christians were given the choice to give sacrifices to the Roman gods or be killed. When brought before Trajan Ignatius gave a bold defense of his faith, and was sentenced to a martyr’s death in Rome.
CHALLENGE
On his way to Rome, St. Ignatius of Antioch wrote several letters. In them, he described many core principles of the Catholic Church, including the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, the hierarchy of the Church, and the primacy of the See of Rome. He was also the first to use the word “Catholic” to describe the Church and differentiate it from schismatic sects. Today, read his “Letter to the Smyrnaeans”.
