St Alexander I

Who he was

Alexander was the fifth successor of the Apostles in Rome, according to St Irenaeus, and led the Church for about ten years in the reign of the Emperor Trajan. Tradition says he was a Roman by birth.

What he is remembered for

The Liber Pontificalis says he was beheaded for the faith on the Via Nomentana and credits him with the blessing of water mixed with salt for Christian homes. Scholars still debate whether the martyr Alexander buried on that road is the same man. His relics are said to have been taken to Freising in Bavaria in 834.

He is honoured by the Church as Saint. Read his page in the dictionary of saints.

Sources

• Catholic Encyclopedia (1907-14): Pope St. Alexander I
• The Holy See: list of the Supreme Pontiffs