Ignatius, << ihg NAY shuhs, >> Saint, was a bishop of Antioch and an early Christian martyr (person who dies for religious beliefs). He was born in Syria and lived during the first century A.D. Ignatius is famous for seven letters that he wrote to various Christian churches while traveling as a prisoner to Rome, where he was martyred (killed for his beliefs). His letters were important for their ideas about martyrdom. They also were influential in establishing the practice of having single bishops as leaders of churches. Ignatius’s feast day is October 17 in the Roman Catholic Church and December 20 in the Eastern Orthodox Churches.
