New on TikTok: Date of Birth and Original Name • Born: c. March 2, 283 AD (or early 4th century) in Sardinia, Italy. • Original/birth name: Eusebius (no alternative name recorded; he was born into a Christian family). • Early life: His father is traditionally said to have been martyred for the faith. His mother relocated him to Rome as a child, where he was raised Christian, became a lector (reader in the liturgy), and served in the Roman clergy. Life and What He Is Known For Saint Eusebius is renowned as a fearless defender of the Nicene Creed and the full divinity of Christ against the Arian heresy (which denied Christ’s co-equality with God the Father). Key highlights: • Elected first bishop of Vercelli (northern Italy) around 340–345 AD. • Pioneered combining clerical ministry with monastic-like community living for priests—the first in the West to do so, inspiring later canons regular. • Sent by Pope Liberius to the Council of Milan (355 AD), where he boldly refused to condemn Saint Athanasius and demanded all sign the Nicene Creed first. • Supported pagan conversions and lived a life of poverty, fasting, and prayer. • Collaborated with saints like Hilary of Poitiers to combat Arianism in the West. Death and Sainthood • Exiled (355–361 AD) by Arian-supporting Emperor Constantius II to Scythopolis (Palestine), Cappadocia, and Egypt; endured harsh imprisonment, hunger strikes, and abuse. • Returned after Emperor Julian’s death; continued anti-Arian efforts until his peaceful natural death on August 1, 371 AD in Vercelli. • Sainthood: Ancient cultus (pre-congregation canonization); feast days August 2 (primary) and historically December 16/15. Patron of Vercelli and Piedmont region. No formal miracles required for early saints; venerated for orthodoxy and suffering. Miracles and Specific Prayers • No posthumous miracles are prominently attributed in historical sources (common for early confessors). • Extant works: Three letters from exile encouraging faithfulness; parts of De Trinitate (on the Trinity) attributed to him. • Common prayer invocation: “Saint Eusebius, defender of Christ’s divinity, pray for us that we may hold firm to the true faith amid trials.” Early Habits (Food, Drink, etc.) • Born Christian; no “pre-Catholic” phase. • No specific records of personal food/drink preferences; known for asceticism—fasting, simple living, and poverty as bishop. Theological Reflection: Blood, Sacrifice, and Redemption Saint Eusebius suffered greatly (exile, abuse) for Christ, echoing the redemptive power of blood in salvation history: • In Christianity: Blood signifies life, atonement, and covenant. The Passover lamb’s blood (Exodus 12) protected Israelites from death, prefiguring Christ’s sacrificial blood on the Cross—“paid for” sins once for all (Hebrews 9–10). Death means separation from God, redeemed by Christ’s blood. • Ancient parallels: • Egypt: Blood linked to life force; myths of gods emerging from blood; protective rituals. • Aztec/Maya/Inca: Blood offerings (human/animal) nourished gods, sustained cosmic order, and renewed life—often heart extraction or letting. • Relevance today: Symbolizes ultimate sacrifice for others; in faith, Christ’s blood offers eternal life beyond ritual cycles. SEDE APOSTOLICA HOLY SEE Profile of the Holy Confessor Eusebius, Bishop of Vercelli In honor of his steadfast witness… (summary as above). Approved for private veneration. #S#SaintEusebiusC#CatholicSaintsD#DefenderOfTheFaithB#BloodOfTheLambAdventSaints