Saint Christina

Virgin and Martyr
(3rd century)

Saint Christina is venerated as a virgin martyr of Bolsena in central Italy, and her Acts, though legendary in many of their details, preserve the memory of a young woman who chose death over apostasy during one of the great persecutions of the early Church. She is said to have been the daughter of a wealthy pagan magistrate of Tyrus or Bolsena, who kept many idols of gold and silver in his house. As a young girl Christina was converted to Christianity, perhaps through contact with Christian slaves in her father's household, and she began secretly to distribute her father's silver idols to the poor.

When this was discovered her father was furious, and he subjected her to a series of terrible tortures in an attempt to compel her to apostatise. She endured these sufferings with supernatural courage, and miracles are recorded at each stage of her passion, the torture instruments breaking or having no effect, heavenly voices comforting her, and her wounds being healed by divine power. Her father died in the midst of these proceedings, and she was handed over to successive judges who continued the torments.

She was finally put to death, traditionally by being shot with arrows, after a series of sufferings that extended over a considerable period. The number and variety of the torments recorded in her Acts gave her a special place in the devotion of the Middle Ages, when the contemplation of martyrdom was a powerful means of meditation on the Passion of Christ. Her relics are venerated at Bolsena, and she is also honoured at Palermo in Sicily and at various other centres. Her feast is observed on July 24th.