St. Sixtus III
Sixtus · 432 – 440
Built the great basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore to celebrate the Council of Ephesus's declaration of Mary as Mother of God.
Sixtus III was pope from 432 to 440. His most lasting achievement was the construction of the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, built to celebrate the Council of Ephesus's affirmation of Mary as Theotokos. The mosaics he commissioned in that church survive today. He also worked to reconcile those who had sympathized with Nestorius.
Why He Matters
Walk into Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome and you are standing in Sixtus III's legacy. He understood that doctrine needed to be made visible — that people needed to see and feel what the Church taught about Mary and her Son.