St. Nereus and St. Achilleus
Feast Day: May 12
They were soldiers.
Their job was to follow orders.
Possibly even orders to arrest and punish Christians.
Then something changed.
They threw down their weapons and became Christians themselves.
And they died for the faith they had once persecuted.
St. Nereus and St. Achilleus, pray for us.
Who Were They?
Nereus and Achilleus were Roman soldiers, likely members of the guard that served the emperor.
We do not know exactly when they lived, but they were martyred in Rome sometime before the Peace of the Church in A.D. 313.
What We Know From Pope Damasus
Our most reliable source about them comes from Pope St. Damasus, who served as pope from A.D. 366 to 384.
He loved the martyrs and wrote poems for their tombs.
For Nereus and Achilleus, he wrote that they had been soldiers who carried out cruel orders.
Then:
“They suddenly laid down their fury, converted, fled the camp of their wicked leader, threw away their shields, their necklaces, and their bloody spears.”
— Pope St. Damasus
Their conversion was complete.
They walked away from violence and power to follow Christ.
Their Martyrdom
Because they refused to return to their old loyalties, they were put to death.
They were buried in the Catacomb of Domitilla on the Via Ardeatina in Rome.
In the late 300s, a basilica was built over their tomb, and its ruins can still be visited.
A Complete Conversion
What is striking about Nereus and Achilleus is how fully they turned around.
They did not just add Jesus to their lives.
They let Him change everything.
St. Paul experienced the same thing: he went from persecuting Christians to dying for Christ.
(See Conversion of St. Paul.)
What These Martyrs Teach Us
Nereus and Achilleus teach us that no one is too far gone for God.
A soldier serving a cruel emperor can become a saint.
They also teach us that conversion means change.
Sometimes following Christ means putting down whatever we have been fighting with.
When Is the Feast?
The Catholic Church celebrates the optional memorial of Sts. Nereus and Achilleus, Martyrs, on May 12.
Prayer Inspired by Sts. Nereus and Achilleus
Lord Jesus Christ,
You turned the hearts of Nereus and Achilleus from violence to faith.
Convert our hearts completely.
Help us lay down whatever keeps us from You,
and bless all who serve as soldiers and in law enforcement.
St. Nereus and St. Achilleus, pray for us. Amen.
