16 Did You Know? Tarcisius, God’s Brave Young Courier The Catacombs of Saint Callixtus Located near the Via Appia and excavated around the middle of the second century, the Catacombs of Saint Callixtus are the largest in Rome. The complex has four underground levels and spans more than twelve miles. It is the oldest Christian cemetery in Rome. About a half million early Christians were laid to rest there, including Saint Tarcisius. The Epitaph of Tarcisius It was Pope Damasus I (305–384) who passed on the story of Tarcisius by having these lines inscribed on the young martyr’s tomb: “The virtuous Tarcisius carried off the trophy from the enemy; when a crowd of wicked people urged him to show it to the impious, he preferred to lose his life and be killed rather than surrender the divine body to raging dogs.” In the third century, the Catacombs of Saint Callixtus served as the official cemetery of the Church in Rome. Sixteen popes who died between the second and fourth centuries were among those buried there. What Were the Catacombs Used For? Although they occasionally served as meeting places, the Christian catacombs were initially cemeteries (from the Latin coemeteria, or "dormitories," places where the dead awaited the resurrection). Unlike Romans, Christians refused to burn the bodies of the deceased. Thus, they had to bury them outside the city in accord with the law; the catacombs are located outside the walls of the ancient city. Persecutions of Nero. Emperor Nero accuses the Christians of having set fire to the city of Rome. Saints Peter and Paul are executed. Persecutions of Marcus Aurelius. Martyrdom of Saint Blandina and her companions. Persecutions of Valerian. Martyrdom of Tarcisius by stoning. A.D. 177 A.D. 257–258 A.D. 64 Persecutions of Decius. The emperor imposes the obligation to make sacrifices to the Roman gods to protect the empire; Christians who refuse are put to death. A.D. 249–250 Persecutions of Diocletian, the most violent of all. Thousands of Christians— even members of the army and the imperial administration—are killed for disloyalty to the empire and its gods. A.D. 303–304 Chronology of Persecutions against Christians in the Roman Empire Ancient Christian sources refer to ten waves of persecutions of varying magnitude. Here are six of them: Persecutions of Trajan. Christianity spreads and worries the authorities. The emperor allows Christians to be punished for causing public disorder. A.D. 112 Name: Tarcisius Born: Third century, in Rome, Italy Died: 257, in Rome, Italy Occupation: Altar boy Moments of weakness: Unknown Moments of strength: Demonstrated great love for the Eucharist, died defending the Sacred Host Patron of: Altar servers and children receiving their First Communion. His feast day is August 15.
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