Fabian guided the Church of Rome for fourteen years, from 236 to 250. He was known as an excellent organizer. He divided the city of Rome into seven administrative regions, each entrusted to a deacon, and gave special attention to the proper care of the cemeteries, which had great importance in Roman Christian life.
His reputation extended throughout the Christian world. Origen corresponded with him, and Saint Cyprian tells us that Emperor Decius once declared that he would rather face a rival for the empire than have such a bishop in Rome.
Fabian was one of the first victims of Decius’ persecution against the Christians. He was buried in the famous “Crypt of the Popes” in the catacombs of Saint Callistus. Since he was such an early pope, it is not surprising that his epitaph is written in Greek: Fabianos episkopos martyr (“Fabian, bishop and martyr”).
The very ancient calendar known as the Depositio martyrum (from the year 354) already assigns him the date of January 20, the same day on which Saint Sebastian is also commemorated. The old Roman liturgical books had separate Masses for each martyr, but over time the two saints came to be celebrated together. The reformed calendar has preferred to return to the more ancient tradition, giving each one his own separate (optional) memorial.
