St Eusebius of Vercelli

Eusebius is the Sardinian-born bishop of Vercelli who first formed his clergy into a common life and then spent the hardest years of his ministry defending the Nicene faith. Brought up at Rome and known there before being sent north, he became bishop of Vercelli and worked to shape a clergy whose life was disciplined, common, and visibly holy. When the Arian crisis sharpened, he refused to condemn St Athanasius unjustly, was driven into exile under Constantius, and suffered harsh treatment in Scythopolis and farther East.

Afterward he labored with men such as Athanasius and Hilary to steady the Church when the worst pressure had passed. This life gives few decorative details, but the form of the life is strong and clear: pastor, organizer, confessor, exile, and defender of the faith.