Euodius

ON SAINT EUODIUS

BISHOP OF ANTIOCH, MARTYR.

ABOUT THE YEAR LXVI

Euodius, Bishop of Antioch, Martyr (S.)

G. H.

[1] The memory of S. Euodius is celebrated on various days, but he is venerated chiefly by the Latins on this VI day of May, on which these things are reported by Usuard: At Antioch of S. Euodius, who, as B. Ignatius writes, Cult on May 6 among the Latins was the first there ordained Bishop by the Apostles. He ended his life by glorious martyrdom in the same city. Ado puts the earlier part on this VI of May; but in the prefatory little book, on the festivities of the Apostles and their disciples, he has these: On the day before the Nones of May, the Birthday of S. Euodius, who was ordained Bishop of Antioch by the Apostles, of whom B. Ignatius writes thus to the Antiochene church: [You have been made disciples of Paul and Peter, do not lose the deposit which they have entrusted to you. Remember worthily the most blessed Euodius your Pastor, who first was ordained Bishop for you by the Apostles. Let us not confound the Father, but be made worthy sons and not adulterous.] This Martyr was buried in the city of Antioch, over which he had presided. So Ado. Similar things have, with many manuscript Martyrologies, Notker, Bellinus, Greven, Maurolycus, Molanus, Galesinius, Canisius, and others with today's Roman Martyrology, in which these things are set forth: At Antioch of S. Euodius, who, as B. Ignatius writes to the Antiochenes, the first there ordained Bishop by S. Peter the Apostle, ended his life by glorious martyrdom. Of him also Peter de Natalibus treats in book 4 chapter 137, where by typographical error it is read "buried on the day before the Kalends of May," when from the adjoining Saints it is clear it should be read, "the day before the Nones of May."

[2] The Greeks join SS. Onesiphorus and Euodius, whom they call Εὔοδος, and on the XXIX day of April have thus: These were of the seventy disciples: of whom also Paul, writing to others, makes mention. among the Greeks April 29, And Onesiphorus indeed was Bishop of Colophon. But Euodus was placed by Peter on the See of Antioch. Both at length, having overcome not a few perils and trials, and having converted many to the Christian faith, themselves also reached the desired Lord. and September 7: These things are read in the Synaxarium of Chiflet on the preceding day. Again the same among the same Greeks on the VII day of September are celebrated with this encomium: On the same day the memory of the holy Apostles Euodius and Onesiphorus. This holy Apostle Euodus, made Bishop in great Antioch after Peter, is mentioned in the epistles of B. Paul; who magnificently among the seventy disciples excelled, and was an outstanding herald of the word… He in the choir of heralds of the word, with the Apostle Onesiphorus, dwells in the heavenly tabernacles. S. Onesiphorus is venerated by the Latins and in the Roman Martyrology on day VI of September. Of him S. Paul makes mention 2 to Timothy chapter 1 and 4, but not of S. Euodius, so that it would seem to have been written wrongly, "of Paul" for "of Ignatius": or certainly the author of the Menaeum could be said to have looked at the Epistle of S. Paul to the Philippians, where in chapter 4 he had read "Euodus," when there is, "I beseech Euodia and Syntyche to think the same in the Lord." Of the epistles of S. Ignatius, and that which he wrote at Philippi to the Antiochenes, we treated on the Kalends of February in his Life §. 6. In the Synopsis of the seventy disciples, which is handed down under the name of Dorotheus and Hippolytus, also S. Euodius Bishop of Antioch is referred.

[3] S. Euodius was constituted Bishop, when S. Peter, Time of the See. in the twelfth year from the Passion of Christ, having left Antioch, placed his See at Rome; that this happened in the fortieth year of the common era we said in the preliminary Diatribe to the first volume of April before the ancient Catalogues of Roman Pontiffs. But in what precise year Euodius was crowned with glorious martyrdom is not sufficiently established. Peter de Natalibus asserts that this happened under the persecution of Nero, under which we have shown SS. Peter and Paul suffered, in the cited Diatribe, in the XII year of Nero aforesaid, that is the LXV year of the common era, and S. Euodius does not seem to have lived long after.

ON S. LUCIUS OF CYRENE.

FIRST CENTURY.

Lucius of Cyrene (S.)

G. H.

[1] The memory of this Saint is celebrated by most Martyrologists, ancient and more recent, Usuard, Ado, Notker, Bellinus, Greven, Maurolycus, Molanus, Galesinius, Canisius, who assert that he was first ordained Bishop at Cyrene by the Apostles. Memory in the fasti In the Roman Martyrology only this is said: At Cyrene of S. Lucius the Bishop, whom in the Acts of the Apostles S. Luke commemorates: namely at the beginning of chapter XIII, where these things are read: There were in the Church, and Acts of the Apostles, which was at Antioch, Prophets and Doctors, among whom Barnabas, and Simon who was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manahen, who was foster-brother of Herod the Tetrarch, and Saul. And as they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said to them: Separate me Saul and Barnabas for the work to which I have called them. Then fasting and praying and laying hands upon them, they sent them away. And these things almost alone are certain about them.

[2] Peter de Natalibus, Bishop of Equilio, in book 4 of his Catalogue chapter 136 brings forth this eulogy: Lucius Bishop of Cyrene, of whom S. Luke in Acts XIII makes mention, was first ordained Pontiff by the holy Apostles at Cyrene: which office of preaching having been most faithfully performed, conspicuous in sanctity and doctrine, he rested in peace, on the day before the Nones of May, as says Jerome in his Martyrology. But S. Jerome does not mention Lucius, Whether he was Bishop of Cyrene? but Ado and Usuard, of whom Peter seems to have had some copy attributed to S. Jerome. Nor is it clear from the words of S. Luke that he was a Bishop, and various interpreters opine that he is called "of Cyrene" because he was born at Cyrene. And Cyrene or Cyrena is an Episcopal city of Pentapolis in Libya, under the metropolis Ptolemais and the Patriarchate of Alexandria; which is now called Cairoon, situated in the kingdom of Barca. In the Synopsis of the LXX disciples, under the name of Dorotheus, Lucius is said to be Bishop of Laodicea in Syria: but in that which is extant under the name of Hippolytus, Bishop of Olympias or Olympia, a city of Elis in the Peloponnese. It seems better that the title of Doctor and Prophet under the grace of the New Testament can be attributed to him, as it is given to S. Manahen his companion on May XXIV by the Roman Martyrology, likewise by Usuard, Ado, Notker and others: on which day we explain the rest.