Today's church, originally known as Titulus Chrysogoni, was one of the first twenty-five parishes in Rome. It was first built in the fourth century over the home of Saint Chrysogonus. The church was enlarged in the twelfth century and finally rebuilt again in the seventeenth century.
Interesting in this church are the rooms on either side of the apse. These rooms, known as pastophoria, are quite common in Eastern churches, through rare in the west. The room to the right, a diaconium, would have been used as a type of sacristy, the room to the left, a protesis, would have contained holy relics.
Saint Chrysogonus was a Roman military officer condemned to die during the Diocletian  persecutions. Even after he was imprisoned, he was able to offer spiritual direction to Saint Anastasia by her writing letters. He was eventually beheaded and thrown into the sea. His body was recovered and buried.
Along with the head and arm of Saint Chrysogonus, this church also contains relics of Saint James the Great.
We remember Saint Chrysogonus in the Roman Canon at Mass.
Tomorrow we visit Santa Maria in Via Lata.
