Saint Irenaeus of Sirmium

Then the proconsul had him stretched on the rack, and, during the torture, he said to him: "Well! Irenaeus, what do you say now? Will you finally sacrifice?"

Irenaeus replied: "I sacrifice to my God by confessing his holy Name, and that is how I have always sacrificed to him."

Meanwhile, the entire family of the holy Martyr was plunged into the deepest sorrow: one could see around him his mother, his wife, and his children; for this holy man was married when he was raised to the episcopate; but he kept continence after his ordination, in accordance with the canons of the Church. His children embraced his feet, crying: "O most beloved of fathers! Have pity on yourself and on us." His wife, all in tears, threw herself on his neck and held him tenderly.

"Save yourself," she said, "both for me and for the innocent pledges of our love." His mother, with a voice broken by sobs, uttered mournful cries, which her servants, her neighbors, and her friends accompanied with their own; so that around the rack where the Saint was being tormented, one heard only complaints, groans, and lamentations. To all these violent assaults, Irenaeus opposed these words of the Savior: "If anyone denies me before men, I will deny him in the presence of my Father who is in heaven." He made no other response to such pressing solicitations; raising his soul above the feelings of nature, he considered only the invisible spectator of his struggles, and envisioned only the crown of glory that awaited him, and which seemed to say to him: "Come, hasten to possess me." — "What!" resumed the governor, "will you be insensible to so many marks of affection and tenderness? Will you see so many tears shed for you without being touched? It is not unworthy of a great courage to let oneself be softened. Sacrifice, and do not lose yourself in the flower of your age." — "It is so as not to lose myself," replied Irenaeus, "that I refuse to sacrifice." He was sent to prison, where he suffered various tortures.

A few days later, the Saint was brought back before the proconsul, who pressed him again to sacrifice; he then asked him if he was married, if he had children. Irenaeus answered these questions in the negative. "But," Probus replied, "who then were all those people whom your fate afflicted so deeply at the first hearing?"

— IRENAEUS. Our Lord Jesus Christ said: "He who loves father or mother, wife or children, brothers or relatives, more than me, is not worthy of me; thus, when I lift my eyes toward the God whom I adore, and when I think of the felicity that He has promised to His faithful servants, I forget that I am a father, husband, son, master, and friend.

— PROBUS. But you are nonetheless all of that; let so many motives therefore engage you to sacrifice.

— IRENAEUS. My children will not lose much by my death: I leave them as a father the God whom they adore with me; thus, let nothing prevent you from executing the orders of the emperor.

— PROBUS. Once again, obey, otherwise I will be forced to condemn you.

— IRENAEUS. I have already told you, you could not give me a greater pleasure."

Then Probus pronounced the following sentence: "We order that Irenaeus, for having disobeyed the edicts of the emperors, be thrown into the river!"

— IRENAEUS. After so many threats, I was expecting something extraordinary, and you are content with having me drowned; why do you do this? You do me an injury; you take away from me the means of showing the world that Christians, who have a living faith, despise death, whatever torments it may be accompanied by." Probus, outraged to see himself defied, added to the sentence that the Saint would have his head severed before being thrown into the river. Irenaeus gave thanks to God that He allowed him to win what was like a second victory.

When he was on the bridg e of Diana, f pont de Diane Site of the execution of Irenaeus. rom where he was to be thrown into the river, he took off his robe, then raising his hands to heaven, he made this prayer: "Lord Jesus, who deigned to suffer death for the salvation of men, command that heaven open and that the angels receive the soul of your servant Irenaeus, who gives his life for the glory of your name and for your people of the Catholic Church of Sirmium. Église catholique de Sirmium The local Christian community led by Irenaeus. " This prayer made, he received the blow that separated his head from his body, after which he was thrown into the river. His martyrdom occurred in the year 304, on the 25th of March, the day on w hich his name is m martyrologe romain Official catalogue of the saints of the Catholic Church. arked in the Roman Martyrology.

Drawn from the sincere Acts of his martyrdom, published by Heuschen ius and Dom Dom Ruinart Benedictine hagiographer, editor of the Acts of the Saints. Ruinart. See Tillemont, vol. IV, and Dom Ceillier, vol. III; Madame Madame de Broglie Author of the book of Christian Virtues. de Broglie has given Saint Irenaeus a place in her beautiful book of Christian Virtues.