September 13 is the day we commemorate our Parish's Patron Saint, Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage, martyred in 258 A.D.According to history, he was well into middle age before he became a Christian, a thought this writer finds particularly comforting. :-)
Prior to his conversion, he was an orator, a writer, a teacher of rhetoric and a 'pleader in the courts'. I suppose that stood him in good stead when it came to writing sermons. ;-)
Once he became a Christian he was fast-tracked into the role of deacon and then Bishop of Carthage (his home town). Not long thereafter, persecution came to Carthage and many fell away from their faith. Cyprian wasn't particularly sympathetic to the 'lapsi', as they were called. His stern approach caused a schism in the church in Carthage which diminished over time, as he showed moderation in his leadership.
In 256 new persecutions broke out in Carthage under Emperor Valerian, and in September 258, Cyprian was imprisoned and shortly thereafter executed because he refused to sacrifice to pagan deities or to recant his confession as a follower of Jesus Christ.
We will celebrate St. Cyprian's life, work and death in a special Evensong Celebration of Holy Eucharist, using the Book of Common Prayer, Friday, September 13 at 4:00 p.m.
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