Pope St. Urban

Pope St. Urban I governed the Roman Church from about 222 to 230, succeeding St. Callistus during a period of relative calm for the Christians of Rome under the Emperor Alexander Severus. Reliable historical detail about his reign is scarce, and the later legends that surround him, including his association with the martyr St. Cecilia and dramatic accounts of conversions and sufferings, cannot be verified from early sources.

What is well attested is that he was buried in the catacomb of St. Callistus, where an inscription bearing his name has been found among the tombs of the popes. Ancient tradition venerates him as a martyr, though the peaceful character of his times makes this uncertain, and the Church remembers him simply as a faithful shepherd of the Roman Church in the early third century. He is celebrated on 25 May.