St Ignatius of Antioch
Bishop of Antioch in Syria and a disciple of the Apostles, St Ignatius was condemned to the wild beasts at Rome under the emperor Trajan, about the year 107. On the road to his martyrdom, in chains and guarded by soldiers, he wrote seven letters — six to the Churches of Asia Minor and one to St Polycarp of Smyrna. They are among the most precious witnesses of the early Church: to unity around the bishop, presbyters and deacons, to the true Incarnation and Passion of Christ, and to the Eucharist as the flesh of Christ.