Irenaeus of Rome

Holy Martyr Irenaeus of Rome suffered in the year 258, together with Abundius, for burying the body of the martyr Concordia. The Church commemorates them on 26 August (new style), together with Saint Hippolytus and the martyr Concordia.

The martyr Hippolytus was chief and overseer of the prisons in Rome in the time of Decius and Valerian (249-259). Brought to Christ by the martyr Lawrence, he buried Lawrence's body. The emperor learned of it and detained Hippolytus and, laughing, asked whether he too had become a sorcerer, to have stolen the body of Lawrence. The saint declared himself a Christian and was cruelly beaten with rods, and to everything said to him he answered only: "I am a Christian." The emperor had him put on soldier's clothes, told him to remember his rank, to be their friend and to offer sacrifice to the gods as before. The martyr answered that he was a soldier of Christ, his Saviour, and wished to die for Him. Then all his property was taken, his nurse, the martyr Concordia, was beaten to death with rods of lead, all the members of his household had their heads cut off before the saint's eyes, and he himself was tied to wild horses, which dragged him over stones until he died. This took place on 13 August 258, the third day after the martyrdom of the archdeacon Lawrence, as the latter had foretold to Saint Hippolytus.

At night the priest Justin buried all the martyrs in secret at the place of execution. The body of Saint Concordia was thrown into an unclean place in Rome. After some time, two Christians, Irenaeus and Abundius, learned from a soldier where the martyr's body had been thrown and buried it next to Saint Hippolytus. For this they were drowned on 26 August, as the martyr had been. The Christians took the bodies of the martyrs out at night and buried them beside the relics of the holy archdeacon Lawrence.