ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN NOVEMBER
Saints celebrated on the 17th of November
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SAINT DIONYSIUS, BISHOP OF ALEXANDRIA
Dionysius of Alexandria, Bishop [Dennis, Denis] (Feast days: November 17; also January 27, February 18, April 8, August 31, September 14). This Saint Dionysius, Bishop of Alexandria - whose life is recounted by the Bollandists* on October 3 because they identify him with the holy martyr Dionysius listed in the Roman Martyrology* on that day - was born in Alexandria, Egypt, into a highly distinguished pagan family. He initially attended schools of pagan philosophy but found no satisfaction there; this he only attained when his thirst for knowledge led him to the Holy Scriptures of the Christians. Through reading them - and especially the letters of the holy apostle Paul - his heart was so deeply moved that, setting aside all the advantages afforded by his birth and merits, he renounced paganism and embraced the Christian faith.
At the catechetical school of his native city, he was instructed in the doctrine of salvation, first by the famous Origen and subsequently by Heraclas, until finally, in the year 232 - when the latter was raised to the episcopal see of Alexandria - he himself became the head of that school. In this position, he laboured for some sixteen years for the good of the Church, winning ever more converts from among the pagans, until, following the death of Bishop Heraclas in 247, he was elected his successor by the clergy and the people.
The sixteen years during which he held the episcopal office were an almost unbroken chain of tribulations, suffering, and persecution that descended upon him and his flock. Soon after he assumed the episcopate, Decius issued an edict of persecution against Christians (250); during its enforcement, the holy bishop suffered the pain of seeing many fall away from the faith. He himself did not lose heart and awaited his fate for four days in his home; yet when, after much urging, he attempted to withdraw to safety, he and his companions fell into the hands of his persecutors and were taken to the small town of Tabosiris. However, Christian countryfolk, having learned of this, hastened to his rescue and brought him - along with two presbyters, Peter and Gaius - to safety in a desolate region of Libya. From this hiding place, he guided the affairs of his sorely pressed congregation through letters and with the help of deacons and priests who bravely ventured into the city at the risk of their lives. As soon as the persecution ceased (in 251), he returned to Alexandria, where he encountered the schism Novatian had instigated against Pope Cornelius regarding the treatment of the lapsi (those who had lapsed in the faith); in this matter, our saint shared the Pope's principles. After Dionysius had done his utmost - particularly at the Synod of Antioch (252) - to restore peace and unity, he found himself compelled to take action against a heresy that, while not new, now threatened to become a serious concern.
An Egyptian bishop named Nepos, in the province of Arsinoë, had revived, elaborated, and sought to substantiate the old Cerinthian error regarding a thousand-year earthly reign of Christ; insisting on a literal interpretation of the Apocalypse - in contrast to the allegorical method - he met with extraordinary acclaim. However, Dionysius sought to lead the misguided back to the truth through both oral persuasion and a treatise titled Peri Epangelion ("On the Promises"); he succeeded in bringing about a situation where all - including Coracion, the leader of the sect - solemnly renounced their error and returned to the unity of the faith. He also endeavoured to help resolve the dispute concerning the baptism of heretics, advising Pope Sixtus II (Pope Stephen’s successor) and urging the Africans to abandon their polemics. Yet it was not long before a new heresy demanded his full attention. Between the years 250 and 260, Sabellius, a presbyter from Ptolemais, propounded his anti-Trinitarian heresy with great skill. Saint Dionysius rose up against him, informed Pope Sixtus II of the situation, and called upon the African bishops in several letters to mount a united defence; he immediately attempted to persuade Sabellius to abandon his views through both oral and written instruction, and - when this proved fruitless, finally pronounced anathema upon him and his followers at a council held in Alexandria in 261. In refuting the Sabellian error, he used the term poiēma - meaning "work" or "creature" - a choice of words that was misconstrued and for which he had to answer to the Pope; he did so so brilliantly, however, that the Pope was completely reassured regarding his orthodoxy.
Some time before his death, our saint took a stand against the heretic Paul of Samosata, Bishop of Antioch, in defense of the honour of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This Paul, who occupied the episcopal see during the reign of Queen Zenobia, was arguably the first among the clergy to play the role of a court theologian, displaying great vanity and a love of splendour - qualities far removed from those of a true bishop. Dionysius was unable to attend the council convened against this arch-heretic in 264 due to the infirmities of old age; however, he sought to refute the new heresy through several writings addressed to the Church of Antioch.
Amidst these doctrinal struggles, external storms also broke over Dionysius and his flock. Although a period of calm had followed the Decian persecution, Valerian (253–260) - who was initially extremely favorably disposed toward Christians - was incited by his favourite, Macrianus, to launch a new persecution in 257. Saint Dionysius was among the first to be struck by this persecution; he was arrested alongside the priest Maximus and the deacons Faustus, Eusebius, and Chaeremon. Because he remained steadfast in the faith, he was taken to Kephro, a region in the Libyan Desert; there, however, he had the joy of seeing a flourishing community emerge, composed of Christians who had followed him from Alexandria and the many pagans he converted during his exile. Yet this very success led to his transfer to an even bleaker region in the Mareotis, near the small town of Colluthion - a location that was, however, closer to Alexandria and thus more favourable for maintaining contact with the city.
After the fall of Valerian in 260, Dionysius returned to his flock; he ministered lovingly to all during the plague that soon broke out, and ended his eventful life between the years 264 and 265. "Given his strenuous activity," says Möhler (Patrologie p. 624, "Athanasius the Great", Part I), "on behalf of the interests of the Catholic Church; his burning zeal for the conversion of unbelievers, the welfare of the faithful, and the reconciliation of the estranged; his decisiveness against error combined with a moderation that won over the hearts of the erring; the love that embraced the entire Catholic Church; his sublime courage in tribulation, unshakeable steadfastness in the faith, and - not least - his gracious humility, even as the Christian world gazed with admiration upon his learning and virtues: it was but a measure of well-deserved recognition that his contemporaries honoured him with the title 'the Great,' and that Athanasius called him Magister Ecclesiae catholicae." Unfortunately, the writings of Saint Dionysius have come down to us only in scattered fragments.
(Information from Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints, Volume 1, Augsburg, 1858, p. 764-66)
*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 Dionysius 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
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