MEMORIAL: OCTOBER 17
St. Ignatius was consecrated the Bishop of Antioch in Syria by St. Peter. Ignatious was a disciple of St. John, and he led the local Christian community for almost 40 years. When the Roman Emperor came to Syria in 107 AD, he demanded all Christians renounce their faith. Ignatius refused, so they brought him to Rome. On his journey, he wrote seven letters of encouragement to bishops and churches that we still have today. Whenever he arrived in Rome, he was fed to the lions, a death that Ignatius desired for his love of Christ.
