Saint Evaristus

Evaristus was the fifth bishop of Rome, between the end of the first century and the beginning of the second. The dates aren’t certain: he was pope between 96 and 99 and died between 105 and 108. The Liber pontificalis says he was Greek by birth, the son of a Jew named Judah, from Bethlehem. Eusebius of Caesarea places his election in the third year of Trajan, after his predecessor Clement I had been exiled to the Tauric Chersonese, that is, Crimea. The Liber pontificalis credits him with two decisions that, if true, matter a great deal. The first: being the first to assign the *tituli* to the presbyters of Rome, that is, dividing the city into areas each entrusted to a priest. It’s the origin of parishes, and also of the cardinals’ titles that still exist today. The second: ordaining seven deacons to assist him. He is also credited with a decree establishing that Christian marriages should receive a priest’s blessing. It should be said that the Liber pontificalis is a much later text and often credits the early popes with decisions that took shape in the centuries that followed. What is certain is that in Rome, in those years, the Christian community was giving itself a structure, and that Evaristus was leading it. If your name is Evaristus, today is your name day.