He was a believer for little more than a decade, but in that time he managed to set one of the pre-eminent examples of Christian leadership. Before his conversion, Cyprian had lived the Carthaginian dream. He was wealthy and successful, but miserable and maybe addicted to drink and other pleasures. With his baptism came a transformation. Within a year he was ordained a priest. In two years he was bishop over all of North Africa. His years in office were a time of unprecedented crisis. His Church faced persecution, pandemic, catastrophic climate change, and famine. He managed all with grace and won his prominent place in history before dying as a martyr.

Links

The Life and Passion of Cyprian, Bishop and Martyr https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=1732

Cyprian of Carthage, Treatise: On the Lapsed https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=1708

Cyprian of Carthage, Treatise: On the Mortality (Or Plague) https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=1712

Cyprian of Carthage, Epistle 62: On the Sacrament of the Cup of the Lord https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=1779

More works by the Fathers https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/

Mike Aquilina's website https://fathersofthechurch.com

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Theme music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed http://www.ccwatershed.org.