Ignatius, who was born in Syria in the middle of the first century A.D., is supposed to have received direct instruction from the Apostle Saint John and Saint Polycarp. Around the year 70, Ignatius was appointed Bishop of Antioch, taking over a local church that had, according to legend, been headed by Saint Peter before he moved to Rome.

Rome was a significant city in the early Church's history, even though St. Peter gave his papal primacy to the bishops of Rome rather than Antioch. It was a major Roman city in what is now Turkey, and it was also the place where followers of Jesus were first referred to as "Christians" because they believed in his teachings and resurrection.

During the reign of Domitian, the first Roman emperor to declare his divinity by taking on the title "Lord and God," Ignatius led the Christians in Antioch. Under this title, subjects who refused to worship the emperor risked execution. During this time, Ignatius led a significant Catholic diocese and exhibited courage while trying to encourage others to do the same.

Following Domitian's assassination in 96, Nerva, his successor, ruled for a short while before being succeeded by Emperor Trajan. Christians who refused to practice the pagan state religion and take part in its rituals risked execution under his reign once more. Ignatius was condemned for his Christian witness throughout his reign and brought from Syria to Rome to be executed.

Despite being escorted by a group of military guards, Ignatius was still able to write seven letters: one to his fellow bishop Polycarp, who would give his own life for Christ several decades later, and six to other local churches throughout the empire, including the Church of Rome.

In his epistles, Ignatius fervently emphasized the value of maintaining church unity, the perils of heresy, and the supreme significance of the Eucharist as the “medicine of immortality.” The term "Catholic," which comes from the Greek word signifying both universality and fullness, is used in these writings to describe the Church for the first time in history. A remarkable aspect of Ignatius' writings is his fervent acceptance of martyrdom as a pathway to divine unity and everlasting life.

In Rome's Flavian Amphitheatre, St. Ignatius of Antioch gave his final public testimony about Christ before lions mauled him to death. He had said, "I am the wheat of the Lord," before turning to face them. "In order to become the pure bread of Christ, I must be ground by the teeth of these beasts." Approximately 107 years after his death, his bones were revered.

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