Pope St. Fabian: Feast Day, Patronage & Prayers
Updated: Oct 3
Feast day: January 20 (optional memorial)
Patron of: No widely recognized patronage.
About Pope St. Fabian
St. Fabian was a layman who became bishop of Rome in the year 236. The historian Eusebius records a remarkable story about his election. When the Christians of Rome gathered to choose a new pope, a dove came down and settled on Fabian's head, and the people, taking it as a sign from the Holy Spirit, acclaimed him at once, although he was not even among the candidates being considered.
His pontificate of about fourteen years came during a period of relative peace. Fabian is remembered as a good organizer who divided Rome into districts, each cared for by a deacon, and who encouraged the care of the catacombs where Christians buried their dead. When the emperor Decius launched the first empire-wide persecution in 250, requiring everyone to offer sacrifice to the gods, Fabian was among the first to be arrested, and he died a martyr. St. Cyprian of Carthage praised his glorious end. His tomb, with its Greek inscription, was discovered in the Catacomb of St. Callixtus. He shares his feast day, January 20, with St. Sebastian.
Prayers to Pope St. Fabian on Daily Catholic Prayers
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