Saint Who?
Saints Who Promoted Eucharistic Devotion
Saint Tarcisius
Martyr († c. 3rd century) Feast: August 15
During the time of the Roman persecutions, Christians often met in hiding for Mass. They would honor those who had been martyred and pray for strength for themselves. And they would send the Eucharist to those who were imprisoned or condemned to death.
Tarcisius, an altar server, was about twelve years old when he was selected to take Holy Communion to a group of prisoners, as no deacon was then available. (He is thought to have lived during the time when Valerian’s anti-Christian edicts included death for any priest.) On his way he was stopped by a group of pagan youths. They must have recognized something unusual was going on, perhaps because of the boy’s prayerful demeanor. When he refused to expose the Eucharist to their irreverence, he was attacked and beaten cruelly. Rescued by a fellow Christian, he was brought back to the others, but died soon from his wounds.
Tarcisius is honored as a martyr and the patron of altar boys. In the 4th century, Pope Saint Damasus I wrote a short poem praising Tarcisius, comparing him to the proto-martyr Stephen. “When a raving gang was pressing holy Tarcisius to reveal to the uninitiated the sacraments of Christ that he was carrying, he wished rather to release his spirit, struck down, than to betray the heavenly limbs to mad dogs.”
Almighty Father, give young people the courage
to bring Christ to the world.
