Polycarp of Smyrna

Saint Polycarp of Smyrna

Memorial
· 23 February

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Polycarp was an associate, disciple and friend of the beloved apostle, Saint John. When John was exiled to the island of Patmos, Polycarp succeeded him as bishop of Smyrna. As a close friend and confidant of John, who was a close companion of the Son of God remember, John was a man most like Jesus in temperament and attitude, Polycarp was a well respected and a revered Christian leader during the first half of the second century.

He was chosen by the eastern churches to represent them to Pope Cletus on the question of the date of the Easter celebration. Cletus was the third pope, and Polycarp…a disciple of the Apostle John, from the eastern Church, asked the Pope, in Rome’s, permission to celebrate the Eucharist…tell that to the dopey hat wearers…..

He wrote many letters unfortunately only one has survived the one he wrote to the Church of Philippi, Macedonia. The martyr Saint Ignatius, bishop of Antioch was a student of Polycarp. Ignatius wrote seven letters, while he was being led to Rome to meet his own martyrdom; one of these letters was to Polycarp.

Polycarp was so well respected in the Christian community when the persecutions began, Polycarp became a prime target. In order to make a public show, Our Saint at age 86, was to be burned alive in a stadium in Smyrna. When the fire was lit apparently even though engulfed, the flames did not harm him, so a well placed dagger thrust delivered by an overzealous soldier finally killed him, the gush of blood that issued forth extinguished the flames. Later his lifeless body was burned.

The Acts of Polycarp’s martyrdom are the earliest preserved reliable account of a Christian martyr’s death:

When [St. Polycarp] had said, “Amen” and finished the prayer, the officials at the pyre lit it. But, when a great flame burst out, those of us privileged to see it witnessed a strange and wonderful thing. Like a ship’s sail swelling in the wind, the flame became as it were a dome encircling the martyr’s body. Surrounded by the fire, his body was like bread that is baked, or gold and silver white-hot in a furnace, not like flesh that has been burnt. So sweet a fragrance came to us that it was like that of burning incense or some other costly and sweet-smelling gum.

He is the patron saint of dysentery which is still the number one killer of children worldwide. I have no idea why he is the patron of this intestinal malady…..He's also patron against earache.

He is considered an Apostolic Father.

Born
· c.69

Died
c.155 at Smyrna

Patronage
against dysentery
against earache
Help in finding a parking spot (no joke…I think it is because his name sort of rhymes with spot, like Mother Cabrini when waiting for a bus or train.)

Prayers:
“Poly-CARP find me a SPOT”

“Mother Cabrini send a machini.” (see above)

I found this prayer to Polycarp on some dude’s Facebook page:

"Listen bro, I haven't made it to Mass while I was down here in Cancun on spring break, but like, I've got some of Montezuma's Revenge going on and oh, no! Help me Polycarp! I just bought these pants!"