ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN MARCH
Saints celebrated on the 20th of March
SAINT ARCHIPPUS, PRIEST AND MARTYR
The name Archippus is derived from the Greek, meaning lord of the horses.
Saint Paul the apostle, in his letter to Philemon (v. 2), calls Archippus his "companion in arms", and some hagiographers consider him a bishop of Colossae. Others, like Baronius*, say that Archippus was a deacon. Estius, however, agrees with the most recent theories (provided by Dr. v. Allioli) who reckon our saint to have been a priest who led this community during the absence of Bishop Epaphras of Colossae. In this light, the words of the holy apostle in the Epistle to the Colossians (4:17) make perfect sense: "Say to Archippus: Consider the office which you have received in the Lord, that you administer it perfectly."
According to Calmet*, the Greeks venerate our saint on November 22, believing that he was martyred under Nero at Colossae; the Latins celebrate Archippus' feast day on March 20, as evident from the entry in the Roman Martyrology* on this day (which, by the way, omits the fact that he was martyred).
(Information from Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints, Volume 1, Augsburg, 1858, p. 304)
*A hagiography source used by the authors
Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints - Sources and Abbreviations
PRAYER:
Grant, we beseech you, almighty God, that the venerable feast of Saint Archippus may increase our devotion and promote our salvation. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Sources of these articles (in the original German): books.google.co.uk, de-academic.com, zeno.org, openlibrary.org
➡️ More information about Saint Archippus
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