Feast of the First Holy Martyrs of the Holy Roman Church (June 30)

The holy men and women are also called the “Protomartyrs of Rome.” They were accused of burning Rome by Nero, who burned Rome to cover his own crimes

Nero was widely believed to have caused the fire that burned down much of Rome in the same year. He blamed the fire on the Christians and put them to death, many by crucifixion, being feeding to the wild animals in the circus, or by being tied to posts and lit up as human torches.

These martyrs were called the “Disciples of the Apostles” and their firmness in the face of their gruesome deaths were a powerful testimony that led to many conversions in the early Roman Church.

Just after the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, the Church celebrates the memory of those Christians who, together with their pillars, suffered martyrdom during the persecution under the Roman emperor Nero. They suffered atrocious torments because of their belief and persevered till the end. They were people of all professions and levels of society.

Wherever the Good News of Jesus was preached, it met the same opposition as Jesus did, and many of those who began to follow him shared his suffering and death. But no human force could stop the power of the Spirit unleashed upon the world. The blood of martyrs has always been, and will always be, the seed of Christians.