Saint Eusebius of Rome
  August 14th  

    Saint Eusebius lived in Rome during the latter part of the fourth century, but the story of his life as related in his acta is entirely spurious. This relates that he was a priest who opposed the Arian emperor Constantius, supported "St. Felix II" (July 29), and celebrated the Holy Mysteries in his own house after he had been forbidden the churches. He was therefore imprisoned in a tiny room of the same house, where he died after seven months. He was buried, we are told, in the cemetery of Callistus on the Appian Way, with the incription over his tomb: "To Eusebius, the Man of God": this circumstance may be true, but no trace of the tomb has been found.

    This is one of the cases in which we have clear evidence of the historical existence of a person who was afterwards the object of a certain cultus, though the story subsequently told is quite untrustworthy. Eusebius beyond doubt founded what we may call a parish church in Rome which was known as the "titulus Eusebii". As founder an annual commemoration Mass was offered for him, which in course of time was regarded as a Mass celebrated in his honor, and in 595 we find that the parish was already referred to as the "titulus sancti Eusebii".

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See H. Delehaye, Sanctus (1927), p. 149; J. Wilpert in Römische Quartalschrift, vol. xxii, pp. 80-82; J. P. Kirsch, Die römischen Titelkirchen, pp. 58-61; with the whole discussion in CMH., pp. 443-444. Alban Butler printed also on this day almost in its entirety the passio of a martyred Eusebius, said to be in Palestine. But the document is worthless and there is no indication of cultus, so this strangely obscure martyr is here omitted.

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Butler's Lives of The Saints, Herbert J. Thurston, S.J. and Donald Attwater Nihil Obstat: PATRICIVS MORRIS, S.T.D., L.S.S., CENSOR DEPVTATVS. Imprimatur: E. MORROGH BERNARD, VICARIVS GENERALIS WESTMONASTERII: DIE XXIII FEBRVARII MCMLIII