Commemoration of St. Evaristus, Pope and Martyr
Month in honor of the Most Holy Rosary of the BVM.
Evaristus was by birth a Greek Jew, and held the papacy in the reign of the Emperor Trajan. It was he who divided among the Priests the Titles of the churches in the city of Rome, and he commanded that seven Deacons should attend the Bishop when he was executing his office of Gospel preaching. He it was who commanded, in accordance with the tradition of the Apostles, that marriages should be celebrated openly, and that a Priest should be asked to invoke a blessing thereon. He ruled the Church for nine years and three months. He held four Ordinations in the month of December, wherein he ordained seventeen Priests, two Deacons, and fifteen Bishops. Having finished his testimony, he was buried upon the Vatican, close by the grave of the Prince of the Apostles, upon the 26th day of October, in the year of our Lord 112.