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In modern sources Eusebius is called a confessor, because he never actually shed his blood in final witness, but traditionally the Church has regarded him as a martyr because of his great sufferings. Eusebius was born to a noble Sardinian family in the late third century, and his own father was a martyr for the faith. He eventually became Bishop of Vercelli, and was the first Western bishop to make his clergy live together with him as if in a monastery, imitating the spirituality of the desert monks. In the year of Our Lord 355, Eusebius attended a council at Milan, where he and a few others defended St. Athanasius and demanded that the Arian bishops assent to the Nicene Creed. The response was banishment and severe ill-treatment, the cruelty of which only encouraged Eusebius and earned him a place with Ss. Athanasius, Ambrose and Hilary as the four great bishops opposed to Arianism. After the death of the Arian Emperor Constantius, Eusebius was free to attend the council of Alexandria, promote the true faith in several Eastern provinces, and finally return to his diocese, where he died in the year of Our Lord 371. His feast is celebrated on different days in several calendars.
ST. EUSEBIUS, bishop of Vercelli and martyr, mentioned on the 1st of August, and also on the 15th of this month.
The young men, Ananias, Azarias and Misael, whose bodies were buried in a cavern at Babylon.
At Kavenna, the holy martyrs Valentine, military officer, Concordius, his son, Navalis, and Agricola, who suffered for Christ in the persecution of Maximian.
At Mola-di-Gaeta, in Campania, St. Albina, virgin and martyr, under the emperor Decius.
In Africa, many holy virgins, who reached a happy termination of their martyrdom in the persecution of the Vandals, under the Arian king Hunneric, by having heavy weights tied to them, and burning plates of metal applied to their bodies.
At Vienne, blessed Ado, bishop and confessor.
At Aberdeen, in Scotland, St. Beanus, bishop.
At Gaza, in Palestine, St. Irenian, bishop.
℣. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
℟. Thanks be to God.
