Pope Saint Sixtus II

The 7th of August is the feast day of Pope Saint Sixtus II (died 6 August 258). He was martyred with Saint Lawrence of Rome and 6 other deacons when the Catholic Church was persecuted by Emperor Valerian.

Pope Saint Sixtus II became the Pontiff in 257 A. D. He mended the relationship between the churches of Rome, the East and Africa due to the controversy of rebaptism and converted heretics. He served as the Pope for one year and was forbidden to celebrate Mass. He, however, continued to worship and it was while he was offering mass in a cemetery chapel that he was caught and beheaded by Roman soldiers.

Image: Pope Sixtus II by Sandro Botticelli (1480s)