Saint Cyril of Jerusalem, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

Cyril was born about 313, probably in or near Jerusalem, and became its bishop about 350. About that time, as a priest or as a newly made bishop, he gave a famous series of instructions to those preparing for baptism at Easter; noted down by listeners, these Catechetical Lectures describe the faith and the rites of the Church of Jerusalem in the 4th century.

His years as bishop were caught up in the disputes over Arianism and in quarrels with the bishops of Caesarea, and he was driven from his see three times, spending some sixteen years in exile. In 381 he took part in the Council of Constantinople. He died in 386, probably on 18 March. Leo XIII named him a Doctor of the Church in 1882.