Lives Of The Saints
December 16
St. Eusebius of Vercelli
Eusebius is remembered as a bishop who paid dearly for refusing to sign a lie. He formed clergy in common life, suffered for the faith in exile, and then came back to the work of healing and strengthening the Church.
The Glory of Saint Eusebius of Rome, Anton Raphael Mengs
Brief life
Eusebius was 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. The sources give few decorative details, but the form of the life is strong and clear: pastor, organizer, confessor, exile, and defender of the faith.
Historical note
This life uses St. Eusebius of Vercelli because Butler gives him a strong historical life tied to the Arian crisis, rather than a thinner or more doubtful notice.
Next step
Browse the novena library
Browse the broader library if you want to move from reading into prayer.
Keep reading
Nearby saint lives
Move through the calendar without leaving the saint library. These nearby feast-day lives help keep the reading trail connected.
Pray with this saint
Carry this saint into prayer
If this life stirred a particular need, keep going with the closest prayer links in the library.