Evaristus

Pope Evaristus (d. c. 105) was the fifth Bishop of Rome, serving from approximately 99 to 105 during the reign of Emperor Trajan. Born in Bethlehem to a Hellenistic Jewish family, he led the Roman Church during a period of consolidation following the apostolic era. The 'Liber Pontificalis' credits Evaristus with dividing Rome into parishes (tituli) assigned to individual priests and establishing the practice of having seven deacons accompany the bishop during preaching — an early form of liturgical organization. Though historical documentation of his pontificate is sparse, his tenure represents the continued development of the Church's institutional structure in the post-apostolic period.