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Saint Eusebius of Vercelli (c. 2 March 283 – 1 August 371) was a Sardinian-born bishop who became the first known bishop of Vercelli in northern Italy. A steadfast defender of the Nicene faith, he stood with Saint Athanasius against Arianism, endured exile under the emperor Constantius II, and upon his return fostered a common life of prayer and study among his clergy. He died in Vercelli and is commemorated on 2 August.
Saint Eusebius was born in Sardinia on or about 2 March 283. As a young man he went to Rome, where he served as a lector. Around the year 345 he was elected the first bishop of Vercelli in Piedmont. There he gathered his clergy into a form of common life that combined the duties of the pastoral office with the discipline of monastic prayer and study, an arrangement that later influenced other churches in the West.
In the great doctrinal struggles of the fourth century Eusebius emerged as a firm supporter of the Council of Nicaea and of the full divinity of Christ. He worked in close alliance with Saint Athanasius of Alexandria against the Arian party. When the emperor Constantius II pressed the Western bishops to condemn Athanasius, Eusebius refused. At the Council of Milan in 355 he would not subscribe to the condemnation; as a result he was deposed and sent into exile.
His banishment took him first to Scythopolis in Palestine, then to Cappadocia, and finally to the Thebaid in Upper Egypt. Throughout these years he continued to encourage the faithful by letter and example, enduring hardship rather than compromise the Nicene faith. After the death of Constantius and the accession of Julian in 361, the exiled bishops were permitted to return. Eusebius made his way back to the West, pausing in Alexandria to take part in the efforts to restore unity among the churches, and then resumed his see at Vercelli.
In his final years he labored to heal the wounds left by the Arian controversy in northern Italy and to strengthen the discipline and holiness of his clergy and people. He died in Vercelli on 1 August 371. From early times he was honored as a saint and confessor; his feast is kept on 2 August. The Church remembers him among the pastors and bishops who upheld the orthodox faith at great personal cost.
May Saint Eusebius of Vercelli, Bishop intercede for us, and may we imitate today the holiness this Life has shown.
Source: Causes of Saints Also listed Wikidata
General Roman Calendar · Liturgical Calendar API
