St. Eusebius of Vercelli, Bishop

St. Eusebius was born in Sardinia sometime in the early fourth century. After his father’s death, his mother took the family to Rome, where he studied and was ordained a priest during the pontificate of Pope Julius I (337–52). He was subsequently appointed the first Bishop of Vercelli, in Piedmont, Italy, in about 345. He and his clergy lived in community, in a manner similar to that later developed by the Canons Regular. Throughout his years as bishop, Eusebius was a strong opponent of the Arians, who denied Christ’s divinity, and firmly supported the teachings of St. Athanasius (see May 2) at the Council of Milan (355), at which he served as Pope Liberius’s legate. Because of Eusebius’s anti-Arian stand, Constantius II (emperor 337–61), who favored the heretics, ordered him sent into exile to Scythopolis in Palestine (today’s Bet She’an, Israel). He was released in 362, after Julian “the Apostate” (emperor 361–63) came to power, but only after suffering much maltreatment at the hands of the Arians. He returned to his diocese, where he continued to oppose the Arians and their doctrines. He died at Vercelli on August 1, 371. The Mass prayer today aptly recalls that St. Eusebius affirmed the divinity of Christ in his long conflict with the Arian heretics. He is especially venerated today for his persistence in supporting orthodox teaching.