Venerable Voices: St. Polycarp

Saint Polycarp lived in the first and second centuries, and was a disciple of Saint John the Apostle. He was the Bishop of Smyrna, in modern-day Turkey, and was martyred for his faith in the year 155.

Polycarp's prolific writings, paired with his proximity to the first Apostles, make him one of the foremost witnesses of the state and belief of the very early Church. One of his most important writings was his letter to the Philippians, which is linked below. His own student, Saint Irenaeus of Lyons, wrote an account of Polycarp's martyrdom, in which Polycarp is remembered as saying:
As one of the great martyrs of the Church, St. Polycarp features prominently in the mural above the tomb of Blessed Stanley Rother here at his shrine in Oklahoma City. May St. Polycarp and Blessed Stanley- one of the earliest martyrs and one of the most recent martyrs- intercede for us, that we may share their courage in living and proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ.
 

...he led and fed his flock. Like the Good Shepherd, he laid down his life for his sheep. [2]

  [1] Translated by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson. From Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 1. Edited by Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A. Cleveland Coxe. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1885.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. .
[2] Franciscan Media. (2023, February 23). Saint Agnes. Saint of the Day. https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-polycarp/