Feast: October 14
Papacy: c. A.D. 217–222
Martyrdom: c. A.D. 222
Burial: Cemetery of Calepodius, Rome
Early Life and Conversion
St. Callistus (or Callixtus) was born in Rome toward the close of the 2nd century, traditionally of servile origin. He was a slave in the household of a Christian named Carpophorus, who entrusted him with a sum of money to manage a kind of bank or savings fund for other Christians. Through misfortune—or possibly the fraud of others—the fund collapsed, and Callistus, pursued by creditors, fled and was arrested.
After an attempt to recover the lost funds led to a disturbance in a synagogue, he was accused before the Roman authorities and condemned to the mines in Sardinia, a fate that usually meant certain death.
Through the intercession of the holy woman Marcia, a Christian who held influence with Emperor Commodus, several Christian prisoners were released — among them Callistus, who thus returned to Rome after enduring terrible hardships.
Service to the Church
Callistus was received kindly by Pope St. Victor I, and later by Pope St. Zephyrinus, who ordained him deacon and placed him in charge of the Christian cemetery on the Appian Way — known ever after as the Catacomb of St. Callistus. It became the principal burial place of the Roman pontiffs and a symbol of the Church’s faith amid persecution.
As deacon, Callistus displayed prudence, zeal, and organizational skill. He also acted as a close adviser to Pope Zephyrinus, defending the Church’s teaching on the Holy Trinity against the heresies of Sabellius and Theodotus, which sought to deny the personal distinction of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Pontificate and Persecution
Upon the death of Zephyrinus, around A.D. 217, Callistus was chosen Pope. His pontificate was marked by both pastoral mercy and severe trials. He faced opposition not only from pagans but also from within the Church — notably from Hippolytus, who later repented but had accused Callistus of excessive leniency in matters of penance.
St. Callistus upheld the power of the Church to remit all sins through sincere repentance and sacramental absolution — even the gravest sins such as adultery and murder. His insistence on this truth reflected the mercy of Christ, who came “to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10).
Martyrdom
Tradition holds that St. Callistus suffered martyrdom during a local outbreak of violence under Emperor Alexander Severus or his prefect. He was seized by a pagan mob and thrown into a deep pit or well, where he was stoned and left to die for his faith in Christ. His body was recovered secretly by the faithful and buried in the cemetery of Calepodius on the Aurelian Way.
Legacy and Veneration
St. Callistus is remembered for his compassion, administrative skill, and steadfast defense of Catholic doctrine in the face of heresy. The catacombs that bear his name became one of the most sacred sites in Christian Rome. His name appears in the Roman Canon (Eucharistic Prayer I) among the early Popes and Martyrs.
Traditional Collect (Tridentine Missal, October 14)
O God, Who seest that we are failing in our strength, mercifully grant that the glorious intercession of blessed Callistus, Thy Martyr and Bishop, may protect us from all harm. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.