St. Callistus I Pope & Martyr (October 14th)

St. Callistus I (217-222) was one of the great popes of the third century. As a deacon he was in charge of the administration of the Church's property and with gathering together the bodies of the martyrs; he organized the famous cemetery on the Appian Way, called after him San Callisto, which has made his name familiar. As pope he regulated the discipline of the sacrament of penance, and had to face the schism of Hippolytus. He was probably killed in a popular insurrection and has been honored as martyr since the seventh century.