Ignatius was chosen by Peter, who was the first bishop of Antioch to succeed him.   Ignatius was a convert and disciple of John; with his friend, Polycarp, he had listened to the Apostle St. John for many years. Ignatius was installed as bishop of Antioch by both Apostles and served the See of Antioch for forty years. St. John Chrysostom lays special emphasis on the honor conferred upon Ignatius in receiving his episcopal consecration at the hands of the Apostles themselves. After the death of John, Ignatius became the most venerable living member of the whole church.In Ignatius’ time copies of St. Johnʼs Gospel had spread  as far as South Egypt (Nubia/Sudan).

Ignatius took as his surname: Theophorus which means God-carrier. Like Paul, he spoke of himself as “one born out of time”. Several writers mention that Ignatius had been the child whom the Savior took up in His arms, as described in Mark 9:9:35.

Antioch was a major metropolitan area, second only to Rome. When a devastating earthquake struck Antioch in 115 the visiting the emperor was injured and thousands were killed.  According to Pliny, as in Rome after the Great Fire of 64, the Christians became a scapegoats.  The first Christian to be denounced in the persecution of Antioch was Ignatius.

Emperor Trajan, who recently had been victorious over the Scythians and Dacians, (immortalized in the still famous Trajan’s Column),wanted to consolidate his empire and decreed that the Christians should unite with their pagan neighbors in the worship of the gods. He threatened a general persecution with death as the penalty for refusing to conform to offer the prescribed sacrifice.

When led before Trajan, the emperor himself accused Ignatius of violating his imperial edict and of inciting others to do the same. Ignatius bore witness to his faith in Christ in an eloquent, courageous, exulting and inspired manner.  Ignatius was then 85 years old but very sound in mind and body; exuding dignity in the presence of the emperor.

Trajan, unmoved and unable to grasp what motivated Ignatius, order that he be sent to Rome in chains to become the food for wild beasts and a spectacle for the people.  Trajan particularly enjoyed bloody games and during his reign they were held on a scale never before seen in Rome. For almost an entire month he celebrated his conquest of Dacia with deadly daily entertainment.

Christians soon heard the news of his fate, his destination, and calculated his probable itinerary.  Christians appeared all along his route to pay him homage and express comfort. Like Paul before him, Ignatius was escorted to Rome under military guard. His death march became a holy pilgrimage.

His journey to martyrdom included embarkation from Seleucia, in Syria,for either Tarsus in Cilicia, or Pamphylia, and then overland through Asia Minor. Then to Laodicea, through Philippi and Sardis, and finally to Smyrna, where Polycarp, his fellow-disciple in the school of St. John, was bishop.

The stop in Smyrna turned out to be quite long.  This permitted delegations from numerous Christian churches in Asia Minor to greet the saintly bishop.  From Smyrna he wrote to the Ephesians and other church communities encouraging them to obey their bishops and beware of false ideas.  There in Smyrna, and in other places as he travelled this road to his ultimate fate of being thrown to the wild beast in the arena, Ignatius wrote various pastoral letters filled with the spirit of Christian charity, apostolic zeal.

Like John in Revelation, Ignatius wrote seven letters to the churches in Asia Minor.  In them Ignatius warned against contamination by heretical ideas.  He explained, rejected and condemned the Judaizers and Gnostics.

His friend, Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna (the last living link to the Apostles) was one of the recipients.  Polycarp testifies in his own letter to the Philippians that Ignatiusʼ letters were much in demand throughout the Church even before his martyrdom. Ignatiusʼ eloquence and profound learning are evident in his seven meteoric-like letters.

While still in Smyrna had written to the Christians of Rome, imploring  them do nothing to deprive him of the opportunity of martyrdom; in this letter, Ignatius’ prose soars:  “Let me become food for the wild beats, through whose favor it will be granted me to attain to God. I am the wheat of God, so let me be ground by the teeth of the wild beasts, that I am be found the pure bread of Christ.”

After Smyrna, in Troas, Ignatius sent letters to the churches in Philippi, Magnesia, Tralles and back to Smyrna and Polycarp.  Ignatius had intended to write more letters to other communities but being unable to do so, delegated the task to Polycarp.

His letter to the Philippians contains the most graphic of the early witnesses to the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.

In his letter to the Smyrians, Ignatius outline the requirements for a valid liturgy: “Let that be deemed a proper Eucharist which is administered either by the bishop, or by one to whom he has entrusted it.”

Ignatius was a true athlete and soldier of Christ and is his character, so evident in his writings is also described as such by his contemporaries.  Bearer of a triple crown: apostolic ordination, bishop, and martyr, he is revered by all who read his letters today.

Ignatius was devoted to duty, passionate and enthusiastic, fearless in defending his beliefs.  He was most concerned for the spiritual health of his flock and sought to protect them from every danger, as a pastor willing to die for his sheep.

Master of concise professions of the faith, Ignatiusʼ epistles were concise and to point.  Ignatius consistently repeated what was the role of the bishop in the Christian community who must be respected and obeyed in all matters concerning the Church and who alone could authorize the celebration of the Mass.

Ignatius held a concept of the office of bishop virtually identical to that held by the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox as well as the Anglican churches throughout their histories.  There is simply no trace of early congregationalism as erroneously held by many in modern times.

To Ignatius, the unity of the Church, reflected the unity of the Trinity. As the Christ was united to the Father and did nothing without Him, so neither should Christians do anything without the bishop.  The Christians, in Ignatius’ eyes were to be one in mind, prayer, petitions but above all in love.  He, like all the Church Fathers, held the Eucharist as the sacrament of Christian unity.