28th June - St Irenaeus - Independent Catholic News

28th June - St Irenaeus - Independent Catholic News: Bishop and Martyr. Born around 130 AD, St Irenaeus of Lyons was bishop of Lugdunum in Gaul, (now Lyons) in France. His writings were formative in the early development of Christian theology. He was a disciple of Polycarp of Smyrna, who himself was a disciple of the Apostle John the Theologian. Irenaeus is thought to have been a Greek from Smyrna in Asia Minor, now Izmir, Turkey. He was brought up in a Christian family. Irenaeus was one of the first Christian writers to refer to the principle of Apostolic Succession.