Saint Ignatius of Antioch, The First Catholic. a Convert, fed to the lions in the Circus Maximus, for being a Christian

October 17, Feast Day of Ignatius of Antioch, also known as Ignatius Theophorus. St. Ignatius of Antioch is the patron saint of the Church in the Eastern Mediterranean and in North Africa. As found in his letters, St. Ignatius of Antioch was the first to use the term “Catholic” to describe the whole Church.


Christianity, during Ignatius time was not much different from today: the Christian faith had faced tribulations, persecution, mistreatment, and discrimination, and worst of all, the deaths of men, women, children, and the elderly simply because they believed in Christ.

Ignatius was an early Christian writer and Patriarch of Antioch. While en route to Rome, where he met his martyrdom - where he bravely met the lions in the Circus Maximus - Ignatius wrote a series of letters. This correspondence forms a central part of a later collection of works by the Apostolic Fathers. He is considered one of the three most important of these, together with Clement of Rome and Polycarp. His letters also serve as an example of early Christian theology, and address important topics including ecclesiology, the sacraments, and the role of bishops.

Born in Syria, Ignatius converted to Christianity and eventually became bishop of Antioch. In the year 107, Emperor Trajan visited Antioch and forced the Christians there to choose between death and apostasy. Ignatius would not deny Christ and thus was condemned to be put to death in Rome.

Ignatius is well known for the seven letters he wrote on the long journey from Antioch to Rome. Five of these letters are to churches in Asia Minor; they urge the Christians there to remain faithful to God and to obey their superiors. He warns them against heretical doctrines, providing them with the solid truths of the Christian faith.

The sixth letter was to Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna, who was later martyred for the faith. The final letter begs the Christians in Rome not to try to stop his martyrdom. “The only thing I ask of you is to allow me to offer the libation of my blood to God. I am the wheat of the Lord; may I be ground by the teeth of the beasts to become the immaculate bread of Christ.”

Prayer to Saint Ignatius of Antioch

Most holy Saint Ignatius of Antioch, we know that you are a powerful intercessor because you sacrificed your life for your faith in God. We pray, that just as your glorious passion brought you eternal splendor, so it may also be for us unending protection. Help us to live our lives by your example of courage and faith.