St. Evaristus, Pope and Martyr, is traditionally regarded as the fifth pope, succeeding St. Clement around the year 97 AD and serving until his death around 107 AD. Little is definitively known about his life, but his pontificate falls during a critical period of the early Church, characterized by ongoing persecution under the Roman Empire and the need to strengthen the organizational structure of the growing Christian community.
According to tradition, St. Evaristus was of Hellenistic Jewish descent, born in Bethlehem. His background as a Jewish convert to Christianity underscores the diverse makeup of the early Church, which was composed of both Jewish and Gentile converts. His papacy came at a time when the Church was solidifying its hierarchy and practices. St. Evaristus is credited with dividing the city of Rome into distinct parishes and appointing priests to oversee them, an early step toward establishing a more structured ecclesiastical governance that would become the basis for the diocesan system. He is also said to have laid down rules regarding the sacramental role of bishops and the conduct of liturgical celebrations.
The period of St. Evaristus’s papacy coincided with Emperor Trajan’s reign, a time when Christianity was still illegal and subject to sporadic persecution. Though detailed accounts of his martyrdom are sparse and not considered historically certain, it is widely accepted in Church tradition that he died a martyr for the faith. His name is included in the Roman Martyrology, commemorating him as a saint on October 26, the day traditionally observed as his feast.
The relics of St. Evaristus are believed to have been buried near the tomb of St. Peter in the Vatican, reflecting the respect accorded to him as one of the early successors of the Apostle. Although documentation from his time is limited, the veneration of St. Evaristus has persisted throughout the centuries as a testament to the enduring legacy of the early popes who laid the foundations for the Church during a time of adversity and persecution.