The Basics: Birth date and place unknown; died 345 in what is now Iran; canonized pre-congregation; feast day, April 22. Martyr. The Story: Tarbula’s brother, the bishop Symeon, already had been executed by King Shapur II. Symeon’s martyrdom had been particularly cruel; on the day he was beheaded, he was the last of one hundred Christians to… Continue reading Wednesday’s Woman: St. Tarbula
Category: Wednesday’s Woman
Wednesday’s Woman: Blessed Marie Anne Blondin
The Basics: Born April 18, 1809, in Terrebone, Canada; died January 2, 1890, in Lachine, Canada; beatified April 29, 2001, by Pope John Paul II; feast day, April 18. Educator, woman religious. The Story: Born Esther Blondin, this blessed was born the third of twelve children in Quebec. She was illiterate when she went to work as… Continue reading Wednesday’s Woman: Blessed Marie Anne Blondin
Wednesday’s Woman: Blessed Ursulina of Parma
The Basics: Born May 14, 1375, in Parma, Italy; died in 1408 in Verona, Italy; beatified February 11, 1786, by Pope Pius VI; feast day, April 7. Mystic. The Story: Ursulina’s story has some of the same elements as Catherine of Siena’s, though Ursulina is much less remembered. Her mystical relationship with the Lord began very early,… Continue reading Wednesday’s Woman: Blessed Ursulina of Parma
Wednesday’s Women: Sts. Irene, Agape, and Chionia
The Basics: Birthdates unknown, in Greece; died 304, in Greece; canonized pre-congregation; feast day, April 3. Martyrs. The Story: Irene’s older sisters, Agape and Chionia, had been burned alive. Their “crimes” had included possessing holy scriptures and refusing to eat meat sacrificed to the gods. Irene remained steadfast in refusing to participate in the sacrifice, and was… Continue reading Wednesday’s Women: Sts. Irene, Agape, and Chionia