The saint library

Saint Hippolytus the Roman Guard

Guard and martyr
Rome
Feast day: August 10

Group icon: Lawrence the Archdeacon, Sixtus of Rome and Hippolytus the Martyr. Image source: Romanian Patriarchate calendar

A life of faith

Hippolytus was a Roman prison guard who witnessed the works associated with Lawrence and received baptism with his household. With the priest Justin he recovered Lawrence’s body and buried it outside Rome. The calendar remembers Hippolytus openly declaring his faith before Valerian and suffering martyrdom.

The Eastern Orthodox Church remembers saints in prayer and commemoration. Their lives offer examples for Christians learning to live their faith.

A reflection

Hippolytus’s care for Lawrence’s body invites reflection on honoring the dead and supporting those who mourn.

Read the Orthodox source

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