FEAST DAY OF ST. IGNATIUS - DR. GIL HAAS, SAINT AUGUSTINE OF CANTERBURY EPISCOPAL CHURCH, OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA

Ignatius, was Bishop of Antioch, and a Martyr.  Around 100 AD, Ignatius became the second or third Bishop of Anitoch after St. Peter.  Ignatius was captured by Roman soldiers and escorted to Rome where he was martyred.  This transport to Rome is unusual since Christians were typically killed locally.  During his  journey, Ignatius and his entourage made a number of lengthy stops in Asia Minor, and he was given great freedom to visit local Christians and to write seven letters that sealed his fame.  He is remembered for his contributions to the development of the eucharist; his orthodox defenses against heresies, and his enthusiastic martyrdom.  Ignatius was the first person to use the term “Catholic Church”.  More than any other person, he stressed the role of a single bishop.  Prior to this time, each church was governed by groups of bishops.  He insisted that there should be one bishop who presided over presbyters and deacons.  He is one of the most important figures in the early church, a period when the church was developing from its infant New Testament roots and moved in the direction of an organized, defined, and catholic religion.

~Dr. Gil Haas, Saint Augustine of Canterbury Episcopal Church, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma