St. Evaristus succeeded St. Clement in the See of Rome in the reign of Trajan and governed the Church about eight years, being the fourth successor of St. Peter. The Liber Pontificalis says that he was the son of a Hellenic Jew of Bethlehem, and, certainly incorrectly, that he divided Rome into several “titles” or Parishes, assigning a priest to each, and appointed seven deacons for the city. He is usually accorded the title of martyr, but his martyrdom is not proved; it is probable that St. Evaristus was buried near ST. Peter’s tomb in the Vatican. His feast day is October 26th.
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I’m celebrating the Mass of St. Evaristus today, and the color is red, as he is given the title of Martyr in the Martyrology (the pre-2001 editions) and the traditional Missal. The doubts (“certainly incorrectly”) about his division of the city into the tituli churches (later, the assigned churches of the Cardinal Priests), savor of the historical revisionism of Herbert Thurston et al., possibly the more timid instincts of Baronius’ researchers. That dioceses were early on divided up among presbyterates is implied by the letters of St. Ignatius of Antioch. The uninterrupted tradition of the Saint’s martyrdom is “proof,” despite the current disdain for the probative force of tradition. (If we relied on Catholic.org’s criteria, we would have to conclude that the martyrdom of St. Lawrence or St. Sebastian was not proved, either.)
Bravo Fr J!
The en vogue Catholic thinking tends to cast pre-20th Century knowledge as unreliable. If 18 centuries of the Church was convinced, it is certainly sufficient for me!
At our parish church of St. Thomas More, we have a altar stone relic of Pope St. Evaristus, and celebrated his Memoria today. I don’t know how we came by it.
In Eucharistic Prayer No.1 the early popes are mentioned – from St. Peter: Linus, Cletus, Clement, Sixtus. etc. I have to asume that Pope Sixtus is alternative name for Pope Evaristus, but is my assumption correct ?
Don, Evaritus was followed by Alexander I who was followed by Sixtus I who was the seventh Pope.
Thanks Don. Laziness must be taking me over in my old age – a little simple research would have provided me with your answer. 🙂
Always happy to answer a history question Don! I sometimes think that is why I was placed on this Earth!