Saint of the Day – 26 March – St Eutychius of Alexandria (Died 356) Sub-Deacon Martyr. Died during Lent in 356, from his wounds and exhaustion, while on the road to the mines in Egypt.
The Roman Martyrology reads today: “At Alexandria, the holy Martyrs, Eutychius and others, who died by the sword for the Catholic Faith, in the time of Constantius, uinder the Arian bishop, George.”
He was martyred in this City at the time of Emperor Constantius, in Lent of 356, when George, an Arian bishop, usurper of the Alexandrian See, assisted by soldiers, caused a violent resurgence of persecution against Catholics.
Saint Athanasius narrates how, after the week of Easter until the Octave of Pentecost, through the work of the Arians, virgins were imprisoned, Bishops were chained, the homes of widows and orphans were stripped, Catholics kidnapped at night.
Among them the Arians also kidnapped Eutichius, a Sub-Deacon, who was providing excellent service to the Church of Alexandria and, with whips made of bull skin, they flogged him so harshly that he was left dying; nor did they allow his wounds to be treated, so that when they condemned him to the horrible mines of Phoeno, the Martyr could not reach them because, torn by the pain of his wounds, he died along the way.
Athanasius, with a style that reveals the immediate and horrified witness, narrates many other infamies and atrocities committed by the Arians, especially at the instigation of George, who had unduly replaced him as and who was then massacred by the crowd. Eutychius is mentioned on 26 March in the Roman Martyrology:
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