- St. Polycarp
Born of Christian parents near the end of the first century, Polycarp was a disciple of St. John the Evangelist and frequently quotes him and other eyewitnesses to the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Therefore, Polycarp is often viewed as the link between the Church of the apostles and the post-apostolic Church.
Polycarp served as bishop of Smyrna (modern-day Izmir in Turkey). At age 86, he was burned at the stake for his faith.
St. Irenaeus mentions Polycarp several times in various letters, including a letter to Pope Victor in which Irenaeus describes Polycarp's visit to Rome regarding a controversy over the date of Easter.
- Little Black Book, Diocese of Saginaw