St. Irenaeus

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Feastday: June 28
Died: 202

The writings of St. Irenaeus entitle him to a high place among the fathers of the Church, for they not only laid the foundations of Christian theology but, by exposing and refuting the errors of the gnostics, they delivered the Catholic Faith from the real danger of the doctrines of those heretics.

He was probably born about the year 125, in one of those maritime provinces of Asia Minor where the memory of the apostles was still cherished and where Christians were numerous. He was most influenced by St. Polycarp who had known the apostles or their immediate disciples

Many Asian priests and missionaries brought the gospel to the pagan Gauls and founded a local church. To this church of Lyon, Irenaeus came to serve as a priest under its first bishop, St. Pothinus, an oriental like himself. In the year 177, Irenaeus was sent to Rome. This mission explains how it was that he was not called upon to share in the martyrdom of St Pothinus during the terrible persecution in Lyons. When he returned to Lyons it was to occupy the vacant bishopric. By this time, the persecution was over. It was the spread of gnosticism in Gaul, and the ravages it was making among the Christians of his diocese, that inspired him to undertake the task of exposing its errors. He produced a treatise in five books in which he sets forth fully the inner doctrines of the various sects, and afterwards contrasts them with the teaching of the Apostles and the text of the Holy Scripture. His work, written in Greek but quickly translated to Latin, was widely circulated and succeeded in dealing a death-blow to gnosticism. At any rate, from that time onwards, it ceased to offer a serious menace to the Catholic faith.

The date of death of St. Irenaeus is not known, but it is believed to be in the year 202. The bodily remains of St. Irenaeus were buried in a crypt under the altar of what was then called the church of St. John, but was later known by the name of St. Irenaeus himself. This tomb or shrine was destroyed by the Calvinists in 1562, and all trace of his relics seems to have perished.

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1 - 11 of 11 Comments

allan stairs
10 months ago
Since a long time ago I have felt that saint Iraneous of Lyons -- one of the first `fathers` of the Church -- should be declared and honored by the same Holy Church as one of its Doctors . If saint Teresa of the Child Jesus could be made one, I suppose that saint Irenaous could be too.
I am a nobody, but if God Himself might find such a declaration to His Glory, I propose to each one of those needed by its avancement to do what he or her can so as to make it more and more possible for this Glory of our Father ..

allan stairs.
Joseph Mathew
10 months ago
St. Irenaeus, glorius father and defender of the church, please pray for me.
Mona
10 months ago
Dear Saint Irenaeou, please pray for Jacob that he finds the right path and for his parents that they find the strenght and wisdom to guide him. Thank you.
christie
10 months ago
Thank you Fr. David. You have given me the information I was wondering about. St. Irenaeus pray for us. Amen
Fr. David K. Seid, O.P.
1 year ago
Susie, St. Irenaeus wrote in defense of papal primacy. He also upheld the doctrine of the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist against the Gnostics, who denied the Incarnation (and, consequently, could not believe in transubstantion either).
traditionaltroubleshooter
1 year ago
Dear Susie,

1. All people who called themselves Christian at the time of Irenaeus were Catholic.
2. Yes.
3. Welcome home.

Love,
James
Susie
2 years ago
Does the Catholic Church have any proof that St. Irenaeus was a member of the Catholic Church?
Were his writings talking about the Catholic Church?
bobby light
2 years ago
this is an awesome church i love it. my mom showed me this website now i like searching it
Ray
3 years ago
This site really helps me on all of my religion projects. Great site.
J Christian
4 years ago
Saint Irenaeus pray for us all, Christian and pagan alike, gnostic, agnostic, true believer, heretic, All Souls in this magellanic suds of vain materiality; pray for the Angels in their nonagonic Choirs; pray for Yahweh and Enoch, Ezekiel and Jesus, Mary and all the martyrs -- pray for your predecents in Lyon, the delightful Heriodias family, Herod "Antipasto," curt Herodias and sultry Salome; pray thy way down the Rhone to Saint Beaune and Saint Mary Magdalen's sweet cave; pray, pray, pray for Saint Polycarp and Pontius Pilate, pray for the helpless and hopeless, expert and ignorant -- and may Yahweh, Sophia, Barbelo and Aeonia comfort thee as They may in thy eternal rest, Amen
Fr. Harrison Mulenga, CSS
4 years ago
May you include St. Gaspar Bertoni in the list of the saints on your web site? He is the Founder of the Congregation of the Sacred
Stigmata of our Lord Jesus Christ.

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