SAINT CALLISTUS I, POPE
Saint Callistus By Edward Matulanya Saint Callistus I (Feast Day: October 14) Early Life of Saint Callistus Saint Callistus I, also known as Callixtus or Calixtus, was born in Rome in the late 2nd century. He began life as a slave under a Christian master named Carpophorus. Entrusted with managing funds, Callistus lost money and fled, but he was captured and sentenced to hard labor in the Sardinian mines. His release was later secured through imperial influence, likely connected to Marcia, a mistress of Emperor Commodus (Loyola Press, n.d.; Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2023). Service Before Papacy After his release, Callistus entered service under Pope Zephyrinus as a deacon. He became the caretaker of Christian burial grounds along the Appian Way, later known as the Catacombs of St. Callistus. These catacombs would become one of the most significant Christian cemeteries in Rome, housing the tombs of martyrs and several early popes (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2023; Wikipedia, 2...