This Month's Great Saint

We do not know accurately the origins of this great Saint of the fourth century whom St. Basil, his friend, called "The generous Guardian of the Faith and valiant protector of the Churches." At best, we must conjecture that before becoming "the Doctor of the weak Churches," he was, by training, a physician. We only know his life as Bishop of Samothrace in Syria, and he is seen in 361 enjoying sufficient prestige in order to raise to the seat of Antioch, the patriarch of Syria, a loyal friend like him, the great Melece. This was the first big friendship of his episcopacy. Both proclaim in 363, at the Synod of Antioch, the consubstantiality of the Persons, reaffirming after forty years of confusion, the entire true faith of Nicea (325). Nevertheless, his zeal in order to try to bring back the heretics to the Faith of Nicea, excites the hatred of the Arian group against him and he became the object of a violent pamphlet (probably by Appollina, Arian bishop of Laodicia in 364) where Eusebius and he are labeled hypocrites. The two friends are agreed on the same teaching.

The second period of his priestly life was distinguished by another friendship of more intimate terms than the first; that of St. Basil the Great, Bishop of Caesarea in 370. There, still Bishop of Samothrace, helped by St. Gregory of Nazianzen, demonstrates his immense talent by being the principal instigator of the true Faith. Several hundred miles separate the two friends and their exchange is especially through letter writing. We have the letters of St. Basil to St. Eusebius, full of a charming affection (they suffer from the lack of frequent meetings because of the distance that separates them) and not less than for a constant concern for the Church, a profound sadness before the flood that is ravaging it: the Arian plague. St. Gregory of Nazianzen also wrote to St. Eusebius and calls him fearlessly for his modesty: "Column and wall to uphold the Church." St. Basil and St. Gregory are better known today than their co-worker. And yet, for all that, it is they who asked advice about the gravest matters, asked it of this indefatigable bishop, their elder.

It is undoubtedly at this period (370-373) that we must place the beginning of his unbelievable missions in the East, devastated, (Syria, Phoenicia, and Palestine) in order to endow the Churches of orthodox pastors.

Nevertheless in 373 the Arian cause, under the instigation of the heretical Bishop of Constantinople, Eudoxe, succeeds in having most of the faithful bishops of Syria exiled. St. Eusebius takes the road of Zeugma on the Euphrates, in Thrace. His departure from Samothrace gives place to large manifestations of piety and of affection of the faithful. Installed on the Danube, he takes part in the war of the Goths. It is there that he receives the two visits from Dorothy in quest of oriental signatures for his missions in the West and in Rome. He continues in exile his apostolic journeys already mentioned.

It is the death of Valens (378), the executor of the crimes of Eudoxe which permit him to return to his See. He resumes his work with intrepidy and continues to ordain good bishops in the cities which either don't have any, or possess an Arian which he dismisses.

We are going to let the words of Theodoret, Bishop of Cyr, and ecclesistical historian, tell us the story and the glorious death of Eusebius. Let us state precisely before allowing him to speak, that St. Eusebius was honored as a martyr on June 22nd.

We believed we ought to augment the text of Theodoret of Cyr, (Church History: Migne. Vol. 83, Col. 1147-1148 and Col. 1201 to 1206) with some notes destined to facilitate the meaning and the extent of the significance.

The latter, then,¹ after having presented Valens² for baptism, bound the unfortunate man by a sermon in order that he persevere in the unholy doctrine and that he repulse everywhere those who had a contrary opinion. So, having abandoned apostolic teaching, Valens went over to the opposite camp. He realized all at once everything that he had sworn to abide by: he drove the holy Eusebius from Melece, from Antioch, then from Samothrace. He deprived Laodicia of the admirable Pelage, its pastor. The latter had married rather young; the first day of his marriage in the nuptial chamber, he persuaded his spouse to observe chastity in the common life and he taught her fraternal love in place of the conjugal union. In this way he kept total abstinence which led as in a choir, all his other virtues. This is why he was unanimously made a bishop.³ Nevertheless, this enemy of truth did not have any feeling of respect or fear before the holiness of his life! Pelage was deported to Arabia, the holy Melece to Armenia, Eusebius who applied himself to his task as apostle to Thrace, this latter, learning that numerous churches were without a pastor throughout Syria, Phoenicia and Palestine under a military disguise, his head wrapped with a tiara⁴ ordaining⁵ priests and deacons and establishing all the other ecclesiastical orders, and when he discovered bishops adhering to the same doctrine, he put them at the head⁶ of Churches without a pastor.

The Holy Melece, whom I have already spoken of (he had saved the barque of the Church from one of the most horrible tempests) designated⁷ Diadore, Bishop of Tarse and entrusted to him the care of the people of Silicia. In the city of Apamee he entrusted the episcopal care⁸ to John, heir of a noble family but more renowned for his virtue than for his ancestors. In fact, he was renowned for his doctrine as well as for his life. At the time of the crisis, he conducted a group of the faithful, with the assistance of the admirable Stephen that the Holy Melace sent also into other parts. Having learned that Germany¹¹ had been laid to waste by the scourge of Europe, he sent him as a doctor to cure this disease. Stephen had studied Greek culture and had been instructed in his youth in the sacred dogmas; Melece was not mistaken in his expectation; thanks to his spiritual learning, Stephen changed the wolves into sheep.

For his part, the great Eusebius came back from exile, ordained⁹ Acace, a man of great renown, Bishop of Beree, Theodate, Bishop of Hieropolis, whose ascetical life everyone praised. He then sent Eusebius⁹ to Chalcis, Isidore to Cyr, both admirable for their zeal in the service of Our Lord. Euloge who defended the Apostolic Faith forcefully, and had been banished to Antioch with Proteogene, was appointed pastor of Odessa upon the death of the great Barses. Then, Euloge, put at the head¹⁰ of the Church at Karrhes, Protogene his companion in the struggle, providing therefore, this infected city with medicine capable of curing it.

The Holy Melece appointed⁹ Maris, Bishop of Dolichè, a small town then infected with Arianism. Therefore, when the great Eusebius wanted to establish Maris on his episcopal seat, a remarkable man known for the number and diversity of his virtues, he went to Dolichè.

As soon as he entered the town, an Arian woman pierced him with a lance from a roof top and wounded him in his head; he died shortly after and went to a better life. But before dying, he made all those who were present, swear not to subject this woman to any punishment, imitating his Master who had said this prayer for his executioners: "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."

Such was the death that the great Eusebius suffered after so many different struggles; although he had succeeded with the barbarians in Thrace, he fell into the hands of the heretics and received from them, the crown of martyrdom.

1. It is about Eudoxe, Arian bishop of the church in Constantinople, head of the cause.

2. Valens: Roman Emperor; he reigned from 364 to 378. Cruel and stupid, he was conquered and killed in Adrianople by the Goths whom he had contrived to establish in the empire. Arian (Arius) persecuted the Catholics.

3. In Greek: to gather, to accept—this term is not technical here and indicates only the consent of the faithful then required in the choice of the Bishops and not the ordination of the elected.

4. This camouflage was intended to avoid the police of the Empire. The tiara remains nevertheless, a symbol of authority.

5. In Greek, Keirotonein: to name, to designate a king. This term, which signifies the imposing of hands, became technical in the church and signifies exclusively, sacramental ordination by the imposition of hands of the Bishops, the Priests and the Deacons. Theodoret uses it here only for priests and deacons.

6. In Greek, Proballo: to propose for a commission, to put on the head. Here Eusebius seems to affect bishops already consecrated and driven from their diocese under the guard of other troops. It is a jurisdictional investiture, as in the other terms to the exclusion of Keirotonein which designates the consecration.

7. In Greek, Kathistemi: to name, to designate. This general term endorses the establishment to an ecclesiastical post, here, without reference to a specific rite.

8. In Greek, Piteuo: to confer a commission (command). Here, that of Bishop. No other allusion to a rite.

9. The same Greek term as #5. The technical term of ordination is used here without any equivocation, for a bishop.

10. Ephistemi: to place on a seat, to sit down, to designate jurisdiction, to establish.

11. City in Syria.