St. Peter of Alexandria

St. Peter, Bishop of Alexandria, may have been the first to deal with the Arian heresy. The Arian concept of Christ is based on the belief that the Son of God did not always exist but was begotten within time by God the Father. He was, therefore, considered subordinate rather than co-equal. The heresy prompted schism in the Church and also led to persecutions. Peter’s writings were used at the Council of Ephesus and the Council of Chalcedon which condemned the schism. Bishop Peter was martyred with Father Dio, Father Ammonius and Father Faustus, three of his priests, in the persecutions of Gaius Valerius Maximinus. He was the last of the Christians martyred in Alexandria by civil authorities and is called “the seal and complement of the martyrs.” His feast is kept on November 25.