Born in the 2nd century, Callistus was a slave in an imperial Roman household and his master was a Christian. 

As a young man he was placed in charge of the alms collected by other Christians but he lost the money. 

In fear, he fled but was caught and sent to prison. However, Callistus did not serve his entire sentence and, instead, was released in the hope he would be able to retrieve some of the money he’d lost, but he was very aggressive in this effort which got him into a fight in a synagog, and was again arrested and, this time sent to do hard labor in the mines of Sardinia. 

The work there nearly killed him but he had sympathizers among the Christians and one of those was Marcia, who had been the mistress of the Emperor. 

Through her intercession, Callistus was released and made superintendent of the Christian burial grounds in Rome, the first land owned by The Church and to this day called, the cemetery of St. Callistus. 

Even the Romans, who despised the Christians, admired their care for strangers and, the dead. 

Callistus developed great trust among those in the young Church and was eventually elected Pope! However, the runner-up, Hypollitus, was bitter in defeat and let himself be elected anit-pope. 

For almost twenty years Hippytus was separated from The Church until, at the end of his life, he reconciled and became a Saint himself. 

Callistus, meanwhile, received great criticism for his generosity to sinners and, for those who had temporarily denied their faith during times of persecution, and, especially, for his willingness to allow them to receive the Eucharist. He was killed around the year 222 during a local uprising against Christians. 

He is the first Pope, after Peter, to be martyred. 

St. Callistus, please pray for us.