Women Saints and Martyrs

July 25 Sts. Thea and Valentina . Thea was born at Gaza, Palestine. She was arrested with other Christians during the persecution of Christians under Emperor Maximian and brought before Firmilian, governor of Palestine, at Caesarea. When she denounced him for threatening to place her in a brothel, he had her scourged. When a Christian of Caesarea, Valentina, protested, Firmilian had her dragged to a pagan altar, and when she kicked over the fire and incense before the altar, he had her tortured. He then bound Thea and Valentina together and had them burned to death. St. Glodesind , 608 A.D. Abbess in Metz, Germany. Glodesind ran from her wedding day after her betrothed was arrested and later executed. Becoming a nun, she eventually served as abbess. July 26 Sts. Joachim and Anne . Traditionally Joachim and Anne are considered to be the names of the parents of Mary, the Mother of God. We have no historical evidence, however, of any elements of their lives, including their names. Any st...

July 18 St. Edburga of Bicester , 7th century. Nun at Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England, the daughter of Penda, the pagan king of Mercia. Her shrine is at Stanton Harcourt, Oxfordshire, but her relics, originally at Bicester, were taken to Flanders, Belgium. St. Marina. Martyr of Orense , in Spanish Galicia, Spain. All records of her sufferings are not extant. St. Gundenis, 203 A.D. Virgin martyr of Carthage. She died in the persecution of Septimius Severnus. July 19 Sts. Justa and Rufina, Virgins. These martyrs were two Christian women at Seville in Spain who maintained themselves by selling earthenware. Not to concur in idolatrous superstitions, they refused to sell vessels for the use of heathen ceremonies and when the worshipers broke up their stock-in-trade, Justa and Rufina retorted by overthrowing the image of a false goddess. Whereupon the people impeached them for their faith before the governor. The prefect, after they had boldly confessed Christ, commanded them to be str...

July 11 St. Olga , 969 A.D. Olga 879-969 Married in 903 to Prince Igor I or Kiev, Russia, she was a cruel and barbarous woman (she scalded her husband's murderers to death in 945 and murdered hundreds of their followers) until she was baptized at Constantinople in 957. She then requested Emperor Otto I to send missionaries to Kiev. Although St. Adalbert of Magdeburg was sent and the queen exerted great efforts the mission proved a failure as did her attempts to convert her son, Svyatoslav. Christianity was introduced however by her grandson St. Vladimir. St. Amabilis , 634 A.D. Princess and nun. Traditionally identified as the daughter of an Anglo-Saxon king, she became a nun at Saint-Amand in Rouen, France. July 12 St. Agnes De, 1841 A.D. Vietnamese Christian martyr . She was born in Baiden and was raised in a Christian family. Agnes was arrested and died in prison at Namdinh on July 12. Agnes was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1988. St. Veronica , 1st century. The woman of J...

July 4 St. Elizabeth of Portugal, Patron of the Third Order of St. Francis . Elizabeth was a Spanish princess who was given in marriage to King Denis of Portugal at the age of twelve. She was very beautiful and very lovable. She was also very devout, and went to Mass every day. Elizabeth was a holy wife, but although her husband was fond of her at first, he soon began to cause her great suffering. Though a good ruler, he did not imitate his wife's love of prayer and other virtues. In fact, his sins of impurity gave great scandal to the people. Later, to make matters worse, the King believed a lie told about Elizabeth and one of her pages by another page, who was jealous of his companion. In great anger the King ordered the one he believed guilty, to be sent to a lime-burner. The lime-burner was commanded to throw into his furnace the first page that came. The good page set out obediently, not knowing death was waiting for him. On his way he stopped for Mass, since he had the habit ...

June 27 St. Emma. Emma was a relative of Emperor St. Henry II and was also known as Hemma. She was raised at Henry's court by St. Cunegund, and according to legend was married to Landgrave William of Friesach. Their two children were murdered during an uprising of mines owned by William. Grief-stricken, he made a pilgrimage to Rome and died on the way back. Emma then decided to devote her life to God. She gave liberally to the poor, founded several religious houses and a double monastery at Gurk, Austria, she may have become a nun there. Despite the above legend, scholars believe she was of the Friesach family rather than William and that her son was killed in a battle twenty years after the death of her husband, Count William of Sanngan, about the year 1015, and it was at this time that she began her foundations. Her cult was confirmed in 1938. Her feast day is June 27th. June 28 St. Vincenza Gerosa , 1847 A.D. Co-foundress of the Sisters of Charity. A native of Lovere, Italy. O...

June 20 St. Florentina , 636 A.D. She was born in Cartagena, Spain, and was the sister of Sts. Leander, Isidore, and Fulgentius. Leander raised Florentina and founded a convent for her, where she became abbess. St. Helena , 750 A.D. Benedictine abbess of Ohren Abbey in Trier. Germany, also called Heliada. June 21 St. Demetria , 363 A.D. Reportedly the sister of St. Bibiana and the daughter of Sts. Flavian and Dafrosa. After the martyrdom of her parents, Demetria dropped dead when she was arrested with St. Bibiana Sts. Rufinus and Martia, 1st century. Martyrs put to death during the first persecutions of the Church in Syracuse, Sicily. June 22 St. Consortia , 570 A.D. Foundress of a convent endowed by King Clotaire I of Soissons and the Franks. Consortia reportedly cured Clotaire’s daughter of a mortal illness. She has long been venerated at Cluny, in France, but nothing is known of her life. June 23 Saint Ethelreda (Audrey), 679 A.D. About 640 A.D., there was an English princess nam...

June 13 St. Damhnade. Virgin venerated in Ireland. St. Felicula, 90 A.D. Virgin martyr , the foster sister of St. Petronilla. Flaccus, a powerful Roman official, proposed marriage to Petronilla and was refused. He then had her arrested. After Petronilla’s martyrdom, Felicula went without food or water in the prison. She was then thrown into a sewer, where she died. St. Nicomedes recovered her remains. St. Aquilina . Aquilina was born of Christian parents in Biblus, Phoenicia. She was arrested during Diocletian's persecution of Christians, and though only twelve, was beaten and decapitated by order of the Magistrate, Volusian, when she would not renounce her Faith. June 15 St. Adelaide , 1250 A.D. Also called Aleydis, a contemplative and miracle worker born in Schwaerbeek, Belgium, who was placed in a Cistercian convent at La Cambre when only seven years old. She grew up in this religious community and was beloved because of her humility and goodness. The nuns, however, discovered...