To the assembled electors, this strange sight recalled the gospel scene of the descent of the Holy Spirit on Jesus at the time of his baptism by John the Baptist.

[6] During Fabian's reign of 14 years, there was a lull in the persecution which had resulted in the exile of both Anterus' predecessor Pontian and the antipope (and later saint) Hippolytus.

Fabian had enough influence at court to effect the return of the bodies of both of these martyrs from Sardinia, where they had died at hard labor in the mines.

He divided the regiones into deaconships and made seven sub-deaconships which seven secretaries oversaw, so that they brought together the deeds of the martyrs faithfully made whole, and he brought forth many works in the cemeteries.The Liberian Catalogue of the popes also reports that Fabian initiated considerable work on the catacombs, where honored Christians were interred, and where he also caused the body of Pontian to be entombed at the catacomb of Callixtus.

Decius ordered everyone in the Empire, with the exception of Jews, to demonstrate loyalty to Rome by offering incense to the cult images of deities that represented the Roman state.

Fabian was one of the earliest victims of Decius, dying as a martyr on 20 January 250, at the beginning of the Decian persecution, though probably in prison, rather than by execution.

[5] Fabian's remains were later reinterred at San Sebastiano fuori le mura by Pope Clement XI where the Albani Chapel is dedicated in his honour.

[3] The church of Santi Fabiano e Venanzio a Villa Fiorelli (1936) in Rome is named in his honour, and also in that of Saint Venantius of Camerino who died in the same persecutions.