WOMEN SAINTS AND MARTYRS MAY 23-29
May 23
St. Julia. Julia was born of noble parents in South Africa. When she was still quite young, her city was conquered by barbarians. Julia was captured and sold as a slave to a pagan merchant, but she did not complain or feel sorry for herself. She accepted everything, and performed the most humble tasks with wonderful cheerfulness. For Julia loved God with all her heart. In her spare time, she read holy books and prayed fervently. One day her master decided to take her with him to France. On the way, he stopped at an island to go to a pagan festival. Julia refused to even go near the place where they were celebrating. She did not want to have anything to do with those superstitious ceremonies. The governor of that region was very angry with her for not joining in the pagan feast. "Who is that woman who dares to insult our gods?" he cried. Julia's owner answered that she was a Christian. He said, too, that although he had not been able to make her give up her religion, still she was such a good, faithful servant that he would not know what to do without her.
"I will give you four of my best women slaves for her," offered the governor, but her master refused. "No," he said, "All you own will not buy her. I would willingly lose the most valuable thing in the world rather than lose her." When the merchant was asleep, however, the wicked governor tried to make Julia sacrifice to the gods. He promised to have her set free if she would, but she absolutely refused. She said she was as free as she wanted to be as long as she could serve Jesus. Then the pagan ruler, in great anger, had her struck on the face and her hair torn from her head. She was next put on a cross to hang there until she died.
St. Euphrosyne of Polotsk, 1173 A.D. Princess and foundress, the daughter of Prince Svyatoslav. At the age of twelve she became a nun and then a recluse. Gifted, she copied manuscripts to raise money for the poor. Euphrosyne also founded a convent at Settse. She went to the Holy Land and died in Jerusalem
May 24
St. Joanna, Jennifer is a derivative of Joanna whose feast day is May 24th. Joanna was the wife of Chuza, steward of King Herod Antipas, tetrarch of Galilee. She was one of the women who helped provide for Jesus and the Apostles and was one of the three women who discovered the empty tomb of Jesus on the first Easter morning.
May 25
St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi. It would be easy to concentrate on the mystical experiences God gave this saint, rather than on her life. In fact, it would be difficult to do differently, so overwhelming were those gifts from God. The temptation for many modern readers (including the author) would be to see little to identify with in these graces and walk away without seeing more. The other temptation would be to become so fascinated with these stories that one would neglect to dig deeper and learn the real lessons of her life. But Mary Magdalene de Pazzi is not a saint because she received ecstasies and graces from God. Many have received visions, ecstasies, and miracles without becoming holy. She is a saint because of her response to those gifts -- a lifelong struggle to show love and gratitude to the God who gave her those graces.
St. Madeleine Sophie Barat. Born at Joigny, Burgundy, France, on December 12, the daughter of a cooper, she was educated by her older brother Louis, who later became a priest and who imposed the strictest discipline and penances on her. On his recommendation, Father Varin, who planned to form an institute of women to teach girls, a female counterpart of the Jesuits, received her and three companions into the religious life in 1800, thus founding the Society of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
May 26
Blessed Eva of Liege. When Blessed Juliana was prioress of Mount Cornillon, one of her closest friends was a holy recluse, Eva, or Heva, of Liege, whom she inspired with her own enthusiastic purpose to obtain the institution of a feast in honor of the Blessed Sacrament. It was in Eva's cell near the church of St. Martin that Juliana found refuge when she was driven for the first time from Cornillon, and it was Eva who took up her mission after she died.
St. Mariana de Paredes. Solitary and the “Lily of Quito,” Ecuador. She was born Mariana de Paredes y Flores and called herself Mariana of Jesus. Born in Quito she was a hermitess in her brother-in-law’s residence. Mariana offered herself as a victim for the city during an earthquake in 1645 and died.
May 27
St. Restituta of Sora, 270 A.D. Roman virgin martyr. Known through dubious legends, she was a Roman noble maiden who fled Rome to Sora, Campania, Italy, with the aid of an angel to escape the persecution of the Church by Emperor Aurelian. Arrested in Sora, she was tortured and thrown into a prison. After being released by an angel, she and several companions, including a priest named Cyril, were beheaded.
St. Melangell, 590 A.D. Welsh virgin also listed as Monacella. The daughter of an Irish or Scottish king, she went to Powys, in central Wales, to become a hermitess. Ysgythrog, the prince of Powys, granted her land after meeting her on a hunting trip, and she founded a community of women, serving as abbess for thirty-seven years. Her shrine remains at Pennant Melangell.
May 28
Bl. Margaret Pole. Martyr of England. She was born Margaret Plantagenet, the niece of Edward IV and Richard III. She married Sir Reginald Pole about 1491 and bore five sons, including Reginald Cardinal Pole. Margaret was widowed, named countess of Salisbury, and appointed governess to Princess Mary, daughter of Henry VIII and Queen Catherine of Aragon, Spain. She opposed Henry’s marriage to Anne Boleyn, and the king exiled her from court, although he called her “the holiest woman in England.” When her son, Cardinal Pole, denied Henry’s Act of Supremacy, the king imprisoned Margaret in the Tower of London for two years and then beheaded her on May 28. In 1538, her other two sons were executed. She was never given a legal trial. She was seventy when she was martyred. Margaret was beatified in 1886.
St. Heliconis, 250 A.D. Martyr of Thessalonica, Greece. She was beheaded. In some lists she is called Heliconides.
May 29
St. Theodosia, 745 A.D. Nun and martyr. Born to a noble family, she was orphaned in her youth and eventually became a nun at Constantinople (modern Istanbul, Turkey) at the monastery of St. Anastasia. She led a group of nuns in defense of the icon of Christ which hung over the main door of the community when soldiers were sent to enforce the decrees of the Iconoclast emperors Leo Ill the Isaurian and Constantine V. Theodosia and twelve other nuns were arrested and tortured; Theodosia died of her grievous injuries while in prison.
Sts. Theodosia and Companions, 303 A.D. A group of thirteen female martyrs who were slain at Caesarea, in Palestine. Theodosia was also the reputed mother of St. Procopius.
St. Julia. Julia was born of noble parents in South Africa. When she was still quite young, her city was conquered by barbarians. Julia was captured and sold as a slave to a pagan merchant, but she did not complain or feel sorry for herself. She accepted everything, and performed the most humble tasks with wonderful cheerfulness. For Julia loved God with all her heart. In her spare time, she read holy books and prayed fervently. One day her master decided to take her with him to France. On the way, he stopped at an island to go to a pagan festival. Julia refused to even go near the place where they were celebrating. She did not want to have anything to do with those superstitious ceremonies. The governor of that region was very angry with her for not joining in the pagan feast. "Who is that woman who dares to insult our gods?" he cried. Julia's owner answered that she was a Christian. He said, too, that although he had not been able to make her give up her religion, still she was such a good, faithful servant that he would not know what to do without her.
"I will give you four of my best women slaves for her," offered the governor, but her master refused. "No," he said, "All you own will not buy her. I would willingly lose the most valuable thing in the world rather than lose her." When the merchant was asleep, however, the wicked governor tried to make Julia sacrifice to the gods. He promised to have her set free if she would, but she absolutely refused. She said she was as free as she wanted to be as long as she could serve Jesus. Then the pagan ruler, in great anger, had her struck on the face and her hair torn from her head. She was next put on a cross to hang there until she died.
St. Euphrosyne of Polotsk, 1173 A.D. Princess and foundress, the daughter of Prince Svyatoslav. At the age of twelve she became a nun and then a recluse. Gifted, she copied manuscripts to raise money for the poor. Euphrosyne also founded a convent at Settse. She went to the Holy Land and died in Jerusalem
May 24
St. Joanna, Jennifer is a derivative of Joanna whose feast day is May 24th. Joanna was the wife of Chuza, steward of King Herod Antipas, tetrarch of Galilee. She was one of the women who helped provide for Jesus and the Apostles and was one of the three women who discovered the empty tomb of Jesus on the first Easter morning.
May 25
St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi. It would be easy to concentrate on the mystical experiences God gave this saint, rather than on her life. In fact, it would be difficult to do differently, so overwhelming were those gifts from God. The temptation for many modern readers (including the author) would be to see little to identify with in these graces and walk away without seeing more. The other temptation would be to become so fascinated with these stories that one would neglect to dig deeper and learn the real lessons of her life. But Mary Magdalene de Pazzi is not a saint because she received ecstasies and graces from God. Many have received visions, ecstasies, and miracles without becoming holy. She is a saint because of her response to those gifts -- a lifelong struggle to show love and gratitude to the God who gave her those graces.
St. Madeleine Sophie Barat. Born at Joigny, Burgundy, France, on December 12, the daughter of a cooper, she was educated by her older brother Louis, who later became a priest and who imposed the strictest discipline and penances on her. On his recommendation, Father Varin, who planned to form an institute of women to teach girls, a female counterpart of the Jesuits, received her and three companions into the religious life in 1800, thus founding the Society of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
May 26
Blessed Eva of Liege. When Blessed Juliana was prioress of Mount Cornillon, one of her closest friends was a holy recluse, Eva, or Heva, of Liege, whom she inspired with her own enthusiastic purpose to obtain the institution of a feast in honor of the Blessed Sacrament. It was in Eva's cell near the church of St. Martin that Juliana found refuge when she was driven for the first time from Cornillon, and it was Eva who took up her mission after she died.
St. Mariana de Paredes. Solitary and the “Lily of Quito,” Ecuador. She was born Mariana de Paredes y Flores and called herself Mariana of Jesus. Born in Quito she was a hermitess in her brother-in-law’s residence. Mariana offered herself as a victim for the city during an earthquake in 1645 and died.
May 27
St. Restituta of Sora, 270 A.D. Roman virgin martyr. Known through dubious legends, she was a Roman noble maiden who fled Rome to Sora, Campania, Italy, with the aid of an angel to escape the persecution of the Church by Emperor Aurelian. Arrested in Sora, she was tortured and thrown into a prison. After being released by an angel, she and several companions, including a priest named Cyril, were beheaded.
St. Melangell, 590 A.D. Welsh virgin also listed as Monacella. The daughter of an Irish or Scottish king, she went to Powys, in central Wales, to become a hermitess. Ysgythrog, the prince of Powys, granted her land after meeting her on a hunting trip, and she founded a community of women, serving as abbess for thirty-seven years. Her shrine remains at Pennant Melangell.
May 28
Bl. Margaret Pole. Martyr of England. She was born Margaret Plantagenet, the niece of Edward IV and Richard III. She married Sir Reginald Pole about 1491 and bore five sons, including Reginald Cardinal Pole. Margaret was widowed, named countess of Salisbury, and appointed governess to Princess Mary, daughter of Henry VIII and Queen Catherine of Aragon, Spain. She opposed Henry’s marriage to Anne Boleyn, and the king exiled her from court, although he called her “the holiest woman in England.” When her son, Cardinal Pole, denied Henry’s Act of Supremacy, the king imprisoned Margaret in the Tower of London for two years and then beheaded her on May 28. In 1538, her other two sons were executed. She was never given a legal trial. She was seventy when she was martyred. Margaret was beatified in 1886.
St. Heliconis, 250 A.D. Martyr of Thessalonica, Greece. She was beheaded. In some lists she is called Heliconides.
May 29
St. Theodosia, 745 A.D. Nun and martyr. Born to a noble family, she was orphaned in her youth and eventually became a nun at Constantinople (modern Istanbul, Turkey) at the monastery of St. Anastasia. She led a group of nuns in defense of the icon of Christ which hung over the main door of the community when soldiers were sent to enforce the decrees of the Iconoclast emperors Leo Ill the Isaurian and Constantine V. Theodosia and twelve other nuns were arrested and tortured; Theodosia died of her grievous injuries while in prison.
Sts. Theodosia and Companions, 303 A.D. A group of thirteen female martyrs who were slain at Caesarea, in Palestine. Theodosia was also the reputed mother of St. Procopius.
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