Pope St. Evaristus

October 27

Pope Evaristus (died c. 107 AD) was Bishop of Rome of the Catholic Church, succeeding Clement I and holding office from c. 99 to his death c. 107. He was also known as Aristus. He is venerated as a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Catholic Church, and Oriental Orthodoxy. He is usually accorded the title of martyr; however, there is no confirmation of this. It is likely that He was the Bishop of Rome when John the Apostle died, marking the end of the apostolic Age.

Little is known about St. Evaristus. According to the Liber Pontificalis, he came from a family of Greek Jews living in Bethlehem. He was elected during the reign of the Roman emperor Trajan, and succeeded Clement I in the See of Rome. Eusebius, in his Church History IV, I, stated that Evaristus died in the 12th year of the reign of Emperor Trajan after holding the office of bishop of the Romans for eight years. He is said by the Liber Pontificalis to have divided Rome into several titles, assigning a priest to each, and appointed seven deacons for the city.

He is usually accorded the title of martyr; however, there is no confirmation of this, as Pope Evaristus is listed without that title in the Roman Martyrology, with a feast day on 26 October. It is probable that Evaristus was buried near Saint Peter's tomb in the Vatican. It is also probable that John the Apostle died during the beginning of Evaristus' reign.