WOMEN SAINTS AND MARTYRS JUNE 20-26
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 named Ethelreda, but she was known as Audrey. She married once, but was widowed after three years, and it was said that the marriage was never consummated. She had taken a perpetual vow of virginity, but married again, this time for reasons of state. Her young husband soon grew tired of living as brother and sister and began to make advances on her. She continually refused. He eventually attempted to bribe the local bishop, Saint Wilfrid of York, to release Audrey from her vows. Saint Wilfrid refused, and helped Audrey escape. She fled south, with her husband following. They reached a promontory known as Colbert's Head, where a heaven sent, seven day high tide separated the two. Eventually, Audrey's husband left and married someone more willing, while Audrey took the veil, and founded the great abbey of Ely, where she lived an austere life. She eventually died of an enormous and unsightly tumor on her neck, which she gratefully accepted as Divine retribution for all the necklaces she had worn in her early years. Throughout the Middle Ages, a festival, "St. Audrey's Fair", was held at Ely on her feast day. The exceptional shodiness of the merchandise, especially the neckerchiefs, contributed to the English language the word "tawdry", a corruption of "Saint Audrey."
St. Agrippina, 262 A.D. Martyr, whose shrine is venerated as a site of miracles. Agrippina is believed to have come from a good Roman family. She was caught up in the persecutions instituted by Emperor Valerian or Diocletian and was beheaded or scourged. Her body was taken to Mineo, Sicily, by three devout Christian women. The gravesite became a popular pilgrimage destination, noted for miracles through Agrippina's intercession.
June 24
St. Kunegunda. Kunegunda (1224-1292) Daughter of King Bela IV and niece of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, she married King Boleslaus V of Poland at sixteen. On his death in 1279 she became a Poor Clare at the Convent of Sandeck, which she had founded. She also built churches and hospitals, ransomed Christians captured by the Turks, and served the poor and ill. She is also known as St. Kinga. Her cult was confirmed in 1690.
June 25
St. Eurosia, 714 A.D. A French martyr, and a victim of the Saracens. She was born in Bayonne, France, and was slain at Jaca in the Pyrenees of Aragon, Spain, when she refused to marry a Saracen. She is protectress of Jaca and is also called Orosia.
June 26
St. Marie Magdalen Fontaine. Martyred Sister of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul. She was superior of the congregation’s house at Arras when the French Revolution erupted in the country with three members of her community; Mary Magdalen was guillotined at Cambrai, France. She was beatified in 1920.
St. Perseveranda, 726 A.D. Also called Pezaine, a Spanish virgin and foundress. With her sisters, Macrina and Columba, she journeyed to Poitiers, France, to establish a convent. Her death was brought about from exhaustion as a result of fleeing for her life when a group of pirates attacked the convent. Sainte Pezaine, in Poitou, is named after her.
Bl. Teresa Fantou, 1794 A.D. A French martyr and member of the Sisters of Charity in Arras, during the French Revolution, she was arrested by republican authorities and guillotined at Cambrai. Teresa and her three companions, Francoise Lanel, Madeleine Fontaine, and Joan Gerard were beatified in 1920.
St. Jane Gerald, Blessed, 1794 A.D. Nun and martyr. A member of the Sisters of Charity of Arras, France, she was arrested in 1792 by officials of the French revolutionary government and guillotined at Cambrai.
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 named Ethelreda, but she was known as Audrey. She married once, but was widowed after three years, and it was said that the marriage was never consummated. She had taken a perpetual vow of virginity, but married again, this time for reasons of state. Her young husband soon grew tired of living as brother and sister and began to make advances on her. She continually refused. He eventually attempted to bribe the local bishop, Saint Wilfrid of York, to release Audrey from her vows. Saint Wilfrid refused, and helped Audrey escape. She fled south, with her husband following. They reached a promontory known as Colbert's Head, where a heaven sent, seven day high tide separated the two. Eventually, Audrey's husband left and married someone more willing, while Audrey took the veil, and founded the great abbey of Ely, where she lived an austere life. She eventually died of an enormous and unsightly tumor on her neck, which she gratefully accepted as Divine retribution for all the necklaces she had worn in her early years. Throughout the Middle Ages, a festival, "St. Audrey's Fair", was held at Ely on her feast day. The exceptional shodiness of the merchandise, especially the neckerchiefs, contributed to the English language the word "tawdry", a corruption of "Saint Audrey."
St. Agrippina, 262 A.D. Martyr, whose shrine is venerated as a site of miracles. Agrippina is believed to have come from a good Roman family. She was caught up in the persecutions instituted by Emperor Valerian or Diocletian and was beheaded or scourged. Her body was taken to Mineo, Sicily, by three devout Christian women. The gravesite became a popular pilgrimage destination, noted for miracles through Agrippina's intercession.
June 24
St. Kunegunda. Kunegunda (1224-1292) Daughter of King Bela IV and niece of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, she married King Boleslaus V of Poland at sixteen. On his death in 1279 she became a Poor Clare at the Convent of Sandeck, which she had founded. She also built churches and hospitals, ransomed Christians captured by the Turks, and served the poor and ill. She is also known as St. Kinga. Her cult was confirmed in 1690.
June 25
St. Eurosia, 714 A.D. A French martyr, and a victim of the Saracens. She was born in Bayonne, France, and was slain at Jaca in the Pyrenees of Aragon, Spain, when she refused to marry a Saracen. She is protectress of Jaca and is also called Orosia.
June 26
St. Marie Magdalen Fontaine. Martyred Sister of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul. She was superior of the congregation’s house at Arras when the French Revolution erupted in the country with three members of her community; Mary Magdalen was guillotined at Cambrai, France. She was beatified in 1920.
St. Perseveranda, 726 A.D. Also called Pezaine, a Spanish virgin and foundress. With her sisters, Macrina and Columba, she journeyed to Poitiers, France, to establish a convent. Her death was brought about from exhaustion as a result of fleeing for her life when a group of pirates attacked the convent. Sainte Pezaine, in Poitou, is named after her.
Bl. Teresa Fantou, 1794 A.D. A French martyr and member of the Sisters of Charity in Arras, during the French Revolution, she was arrested by republican authorities and guillotined at Cambrai. Teresa and her three companions, Francoise Lanel, Madeleine Fontaine, and Joan Gerard were beatified in 1920.
St. Jane Gerald, Blessed, 1794 A.D. Nun and martyr. A member of the Sisters of Charity of Arras, France, she was arrested in 1792 by officials of the French revolutionary government and guillotined at Cambrai.
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