Bishop and Martyr · Feast day September 16
St. Cyprian
The feast day of St. Cyprian is September 16, a memorial in the US Catholic calendar. Below: a short life and 3 sourced quotations in their own words.
| Feast day | September 16 |
|---|---|
| In the US calendar | Memorial |
| Title | Bishop and Martyr |
| Died | c. 258 |
| In their own words | 3 sourced quotations |
| Next on Bless’s Today screen | None left in the published calendar (through December 31, 2028) |
Life
A wealthy rhetorician of Carthage converted in middle age, made bishop within a decade, and martyred a decade after that under Valerian. His letters steer the Church through persecution and plague with a Roman’s clarity.
When the proconsul read his sentence, he answered, ‘Thanks be to God,’ and had twenty-five gold pieces given to his executioner.
In their own words
Each quotation names the work it comes from. Bless quotes these in the comments beside the verses listed under In Scripture.
After the supply of food, pardon of sin is also asked for, that he who is fed by God may live in God.
He cannot have God for his Father who has not the Church for his mother.
Let our speech and petition when we pray be under discipline, observing quietness and modesty. Let us consider that we are standing in God's sight.
In Scripture
In Bless, St. Cyprian’s words appear in the comments beside these verses. This page’s labels say how each is linked: “on this verse” means the saint wrote about that very verse; “on this theme” means the quotation shares its theme. Scripture is quoted from the Catholic Public Domain Version.
On this verse
And when praying, do not choose many words, as the pagans do. For they think that by their excess of words they might be heeded.
Matthew 6:7 · CPDV Beside their words: “Let our speech and petition when we pray be under discipline, observing quietness and…”
On this verse
Give us this day our life-sustaining bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors.
Matthew 6:11–12 · CPDV Beside their words: “After the supply of food, pardon of sin is also asked for, that he who is fed by God may…”
On this theme
Dreams follow many worries, and in many words foolishness will be found.
Ecclesiastes 5:2 · CPDV Beside their words: “Let our speech and petition when we pray be under discipline, observing quietness and…”
On this theme
But that Jerusalem which is above is free; the same is our mother.
Galatians 4:26 · CPDV Beside their words: “He cannot have God for his Father who has not the Church for his mother.”
On this theme
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the Church and handed himself over for her,
Ephesians 5:25 · CPDV Beside their words: “He cannot have God for his Father who has not the Church for his mother.”
In the calendar
The upcoming dates, through December 31, 2028, when Bless’s Today screen shows St. Cyprian. Where the US calendar keeps another celebration that day, it is named instead and no rank is given.
Readings
No dates are left in Bless’s published calendar, which runs through December 31, 2028. St. Cyprian keeps September 16 in Bless’s calendar of saints: see the saints of September.
All the saints of September Born on September 16? A saint for every day
Spotted a mistake in a date, a patronage or a quotation? Report an error and we’ll fix it in the app and here.