Hieromartyr Urban I of Rome

Hieromartyr Urban I of Rome held the episcopal see of Rome from 222 to 230, during the reign of Emperor Alexander Severus — a period relatively favorable to Christians, though church tradition preserves his memory as a hieromartyr. No reliable details survive of his origin. By tradition he continued the work of his predecessor, Pope Callixtus I, caring for the organization of the Roman community and the catacomb burials of martyrs. In popular piety, especially in wine-growing regions of Western Europe, St. Urban is venerated as patron of vintners and winemakers. He died in 230. Church tradition honors him as a hieromartyr, though modern historical scholarship questions whether his death was in fact violent.