Pope St. Sixtus II was elected in secret as the 23rd Successor of St. Peter on August 30, 257. According to his biographer, he was a “good and peaceful priest.” He was also skillful in avoiding the first of Valerian’s brutal persecutions―which occurred in his first months as pope. However, less than a year after his election, he and six of his deacons were arrested and beheaded on August 6th, 258. The seventh, Lawrence, would be captured and martyred a few days later, on the 10th. As a Greek, he was not accorded the swift death by beheading given to a Roman citizen.  Read More