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Saint Irénée ; Vitraux de Lucien Bégule (1901), Église Saint-Irénée.

"This  Saint  was  born  about  the  year  120.  He  was  a  Grecian, probably  a  native  of  Lesser  Asia.  •  His  parents,  who  were Christians,  placed  him  under  the  care  of  the  great  St.  Polycarp,  Bishop  of  Smyrna.  It  was  in  so  holy  a  school  that  he learned  that  sacred  science  which  rendered  him  afterward  a  great ornament  of  the  Church  and  the  terror  of  her  enemies.  St.  Polycarp  cultivated  his  rising  genius,  and  formed  his  mind  to  piety  by precepts  and  example;  and  the  zealous  scholar  was  careful  to reap  all  the  advantages  which  were  offered  him  by  the  happiness of  such  a  master.  Such  was  his  veneration  for  his  tutor's  sanctity that  he  observed  every  action  and  whatever  he  saw  in  that  holy  man, the  better  to  copy  his  example  and  learn  his  spirit.  He  listened to his  instructions  with  an  insatiable  ardor,  and  so  deeply  did  he engrave  them  on  his  heart  that  the  impressions  remained  most lively  even  to  his  old  age.  In  order  to  confute  the  heresies  of  his age,  this  father  made  himself  acquainted  with  the  most  absurd conceits  of  their  philosophers,  by  which  means  he  was  qualified to  trace  up  every  error  to  its  sources  and  set  it  in  its  full  light.
St.  Polycarp  sent  St.  Irenaeus  into  Gaul,  in  company  with  some priest ;  he  was  himself  ordained  priest  of  the  Church  of  Lyons  by St.  Pothinus.  St.  Pothinus  having  glorified  God  by  his  happy death,  in  the  year  177,  our  Saint  was  chosen  the  second  Bishop  of Lyons.  By  his  preaching,  he  in  a  short  time  converted  almost that  whole  country  to  the  faith.    He  wrote  several  works  against heresy,  and  at  last,  with  many  others,  suffered  martyrdom  about the  year  202,  under  the  Emperor  Severus,  at  Lyons. (Pictorial lives of the saints : with reflections for every day of the year, by Shea, John Gilmary, 1824-1892)

"For where is the Church is, there likewise is the Spirit of God. And where the Spirit of God is, there likewise is the Church, there all grace." Against Heresies 3:24:1 St.  Irenaeus

"Woe to them who alienate themselves from her! They suck not in life from the nourishing breasts to which their Mother invites them, they slake not their thirst at the limpid Fount of the Lord's Body: but, afar from the rock of unity, they drink the muddy waters of cisterns dug in fetid slime where there is not a drop of water of truth." The Liturgical Year: Time after Pentecost (v. 11, 3rd ed.) By Prosper Gueranger

"O God, who didst vouchsafe unto blessed Irenaeus, Thy martyr and bishop, by his strenuous teaching of the truth, utterly to confute heresies, and happily to establish peace in Thy Church: grant unto us Thy people, we beseech Thee, to be steadfast in the practice of our holy religion, and in all our days to enjoy that peace which is from Thee."

 God, the author and lover of peace, to know Whom is to live, and to serve Whom is to reign, protect us Thy suppliants from all assaults, that we, who trust in Thy defense, by the intercession of blessed Irenaeus, Thy martyr and bishop, may not fear the arms of any of our foes. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who lives and reigns with Thee in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever."

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