Saint Irenaeus was born around 125 A.D. His passion for spreading the true Christian message - grounded in Scripture and passed down through the Apostles - made him a hero in the fight against the false teachings of Gnosticism.
To defend the Church from this heresy, Saint Irenaeus wrote five books of doctrinal teachings. These five volumes are part of the foundation of Catholic theology today. Because of this great contribution, Pope Francis declared Saint Irenaeus a Doctor of the Church in 2022.
Saint Irenaeus compared the scriptures to a beautiful jeweled mosaic, and says heresy is a shabby imitation. For this reason, Saint Irenaeus is often shown holding a bible with a jeweled cover.
Saint Irenaeus is the patron saint of apologists and catechists. We can ask Saint Irenaeus to help us be good students of our Catholic faith. May we learn it so well that we are able to pass it on to others.