St. Soter

Soter · ~166 – ~175

Known for his extraordinary generosity to distant churches and care for persecuted Christians in the mines.

Soter was from Fondi in the Campania region. The bishop of Corinth, Dionysius, wrote him a grateful letter praising the Roman Church under Soter for its consistent charity: sending financial aid to churches in need and providing for Christians condemned to labor in the mines. Soter's generosity was apparently so well known that the Corinthians read his letter alongside Clement's famous epistle in their liturgy. He is also traditionally credited with reserving the blessing of marriage to a priest.

Charity as Church Policy

Soter turned Roman generosity into something systematic. The Church in Rome was relatively well-off, and Soter made sure that wealth flowed outward. The Corinthians' gratitude, preserved in Dionysius' letter, shows this wasn't token giving. It was substantial enough to be remembered and celebrated.