ARCHIPPO, saint. — Collaborator of St Paul
(“fellow soldier”), of Colossae. He was probably the son of Philemon and Appia, with whom he is associated in the address of Philem. 2. He held an important office in the Church of Colossae (Col. 4:17); St Jerome thinks that he was its bishop during the absence of Epaphras (v.), who remained in Rome with St Paul. The Apostle (ibid.) recommends that he faithfully fulfill the sacred ministry he had received, without this implying any blame of A. Through a false deduction from Col. 4:16, he was considered bishop of Laodicea (Constit. Apost., VII, 46). His feast is celebrated on 20 March (in the Byzantine liturgy: 22 Nov.).
BIBL.: Acta SS. Martii, III, p. 89; F. X. Pölzl, Die Mitarbeiter des Weltapostels Paulus, Regensburg 1911, pp. 293–98. Vincenzo Cavalla