Euprepius of Verona

Who is Euprepius of Verona?

Saint Euprepius of Verona, is venerated as the first bishop of Verona. Not much is known of his life beyond the fact that his name was Greek, which is considered evidence of the antiquity of the Veronese see.

According to the local tradition of Verona, he was one of the Seventy Disciples mentioned in the Gospel of Luke 10:1–24, but this is "entirely unsubstantiated." and his name does not appear among the seventy in the 2nd-century list compiled by Hippolytus of Rome. Local tradition states that Euprepius was bishop of Verona from 60 to 72 AD. Euprepius' death may have occurred at the end of the 1st century or beginning of the 2nd century.

The 9th century Versus de Verona of Anno, Bishop of Verona, which discusses the period in which Verona was converted from paganism to Christianity, states: Primum Verona predicavit Puprepis episcopus. This work, also known as the Carmen Pipinianum, includes a description of Verona and its churches, and gives a list of the first eight bishops: Euprepius, Dimidrianus, Simplicius, Proculus, Saturninus, Lucilius, Gricinus, and Zeno. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, "the period of St. Euprepius, and therefore of the erection of the see, must be placed not before the peace given to the Church under Gallienus, but rather under the first period of the reign of Diocletian, when the Church enjoyed peace."