Saint Hippolytus was one of the early Christians who sacrificed his life for Christ. He lived during the 3rd century, during the reign of the emperors Decius and Valerian. He served as the chief of the Roman prisons.
When the Archdeacon Lawrence was brought to prison, he spoke to Hippolytus about Christianity and foretold the martyrdom that awaited the jailer. After Lawrence’s execution, Hippolytus took care of his body, feeling deep admiration for the Archdeacon and having come to believe in Christ.
This act became known to the emperor, who asked him whether he had changed his faith, since he had decided to steal the body of a Christian. Saint Hippolytus courageously confessed his love for Christ. Even during the terrible tortures that followed, he continued to proclaim his faith in the Lord.
He is said to have declared: “I am a soldier of Christ, my Savior, and I desire to die for Him.”
Enraged, the pagans seized his property, his nurse Concordia, and all his relatives, whom they killed before his eyes. He himself was condemned to death. His body was dragged along the ground, until he surrendered his soul to the Lord.
Saint Hippolytus fell asleep in the Lord on August 13, 258, the third day after the death of the Archdeacon Lawrence.
All the martyrs were secretly buried by the presbyter Justin at the place where they had suffered martyrdom. The body of the nurse was thrown into the desert. However, it was found a few days later and buried by two Christians, Irenaeus and Abundius. For this act, the two men also met a terrible death. Their bodies remained unburied until they were discovered by faithful Christians and laid to rest near the relics of the Archdeacon Lawrence.
The feast of Saint Hippolytus is celebrated on January 30.
