July 28: St. Victor I

(C. 155–199)

Pope Victor I was the 14th leader of the church. He was a Berber from North Africa who held the papal throne for more than a decade. He continued to use his given name after becoming the pope and inspired two other men to also use the name Victor.

Before becoming the pope, Victor was a bishop. He likely worked in Leptis Magna, which was an ancient city in the Carthage region. The church does not know much else about his early life.

Victor probably became pope in 189 AD (records from that period are scant). His papacy is best known for his work to free the persecuted. He fought to free those enslaved in the mines by the emperor and once freed, welcomed them back to the church.

He also is responsible for uniting the various factions of the church in the celebration of Easter on Sunday (some had chosen different days). He also changed the language of the church from Greek to Latin.

Church records indicate that Pope Victor I was a martyr. No records exist to show where he was buried or what happened to his relics.

Adapted by A.J. Valentini