February 23: Saint Polycarp / San Policarpo

The Church celebrates today the feastday of St. Polycarp. He was an important early martyr of the Church. He was also among a group of Church Fathers, in the first generation of Christians, to be taught by the first-disciples themselves – he learned the faith from St. John and, in turn, St. Polycarp taught others, such as St. Irenaeus.

St. Polycarp lived at a time when the faith was still taking shape – the smallest deviation from the truth that he had received would have long-reaching consequences for us today, and he seemed to be aware of that. Consequently, he had no patience for those who distorted the faith. He was an active leader in the early Church, writing letters to far-flung Christian communities and engaging the Pope on matters such as the date of Easter.

It is the Church’s privilege today to celebrate a man who was willing to die for his faith, but also willing to actively spread that faith for as long as he could.

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La Iglesia celebra hoy el día festivo de San Policarpo, un discípulo del Apóstol San Juan y uno de los primeros mártires cristianos. 

San Policarpo predicaba lo que había aprendido directamente de los testigos oculares de Jesús. Su conexión con San Juan y los otros primeros discípulos de Cristo sirvió de puente entre la primera generación de creyentes y los que siguieron, incluyendo pensadores influyentes y teólogos como San Ireneo, quien viviría para ser un prominente “Padre de la Iglesia” por derecho propio.