Pope St. Sixtus

Pope St. Sixtus is a name borne by several early bishops of Rome, of whom the most celebrated is Sixtus II, who reigned briefly from 257 to 258 during the persecution under the Emperor Valerian. His memory is honored above all for the manner of his death: while celebrating the liturgy among the faithful in the catacombs, he was seized by the imperial authorities and put to death on the spot, on 6 August 258, together with several of his deacons.

His martyrdom is bound up with that of his deacon St. Lawrence, whom tradition depicts weeping to follow his bishop and being told he would follow within days, as indeed he did. So revered was Sixtus II that his name was enrolled among the martyrs named in the Roman Canon of the Mass. The earlier Sixtus I, of the early second century, is likewise venerated as an early pope and martyr. Sixtus II is celebrated on 7 August.