Consecrated Virgin Saints of the Early Church

In celebration of the Solemnity of All Saints, I thought I would take this opportunity to share this list of consecrated virgin-saints from the first centuries of the Church. Although consecrated virginity might be viewed as a "new" vocation, I admit that I do enjoy pointing out that we have a list of saints that could rival those of some of the Church's greatest religious Orders! But more importantly, I'm always moved to relflect on the courageous lives of so many of my holy "sisters."

This list is based on the one complied by Fr. Francisco Vizmanos, S.J., in his book Las Virgenes Cristianas de la Iglesia Primitiva (published in 1949 in Madrid, Spain). You can also find a version of this list here on the USACV website.

In his introduction to the list, Fr. Vizmanos notes that these names include only those saints who, based on archeological evidence and reliable traditions, can be assumed to have existed as historical people. (I.e., legandary or apocryphal saints are not included here.) So when a question mark [(?)] occurs after a name, this is only to indicate that there is some doubt regarding the exact city or location in which the consecrated virgin saint is thought to have lived.

The dates given indicate the years in which the saints entered into eternal life. Martyrs' names are in red, and I have put into bold type the names of those saints who are most likely to be familiar to my readers.

Please also note that this list isn't yet complete. I plan to continue updating it throughout the day, or over the next few days. There's no really good reason for this--I'm just a busy graduate student who ran out of time!

***

Consecrated Virgin Saints of the Early Church

Apostolic Era

Palestine and East Africa:

St. Martha of Bethany + the daughters of Philip the deacon, of Caesarea + St. Marcela of Palestine or Dalmatia (?) + St. Iphigenia of Ethiopia (?)

Near East:

The daughters of Nicholas the deacon, of Antioch + St. Pelagia of Antioch + St. Thecla of Iconium + Sts. Cenaida & Philonila of Tesalia + St. Irene of Byzantium

Italy and Spain:

Sts. Euphemia & Dorothea of Aquileia (?) + Sts. Thecla & Erasma of Aquileia (?) + St. Justina of Padua + St. Flavia Domitilla of Rome + St. Petronilla of Rome + St. Felicula of Rome + Sts. Euphrosina & Theodora of Terracina (?) + St. Polixena of Spain (?)

Second Century

Greece and Italy:

St. Parasceve of Tracia (c. 150) + St. Olivia of Brescia (c. 117-138) + St. Serapia of Syria-Vindena/Umbria (c. 119) + St. Theodora of Rome (c. 132) + St. Balbina of Rome (c. 132) + St. Pudenciana of Rome (c. 160) + St. Gilceria of Rome (c. 177) + St. Praxedes of Rome

France and Spain:

St. Veneranda of Gaul (?) (138-161) + St. Blandina of Lyon (178) + St. Marina of Orense (?) (117-138?) + St. Liberata of Galicia (?) (c. 139) + St. Quiteria of Northern Spain (?)

Third Century

Near East:

St. Reparata of Caesarea (251) + St. Amonaria of Alexandria (250) + St. Apollonia of Alexandria (249) + St. Barbara of Heliopolis, Syria (?) (c. 235?) + St. Aquilina of Biblos, Phonecia (293) + St. Margaret of Antioch (c. 273) + St. Paula of Nicomedia (273) + St. Maura of Byzantium (273)

Italy:

St. Justina of Trieste (289) + St. Eusebia of Bergamo + St. Mesalina of Foligno (c. 236) + St. Anatolia of Tora (250) + St. Mustiola of Chiusi (c. 275) + St. Domnina of Terni, Umbria (272) + St. Agape of Terni, Umbria (273) + St. Sophia of Fermo (249-251) + St. Taciana of Rome (225) + St. Martina of Rome (226) + St. Cecilia of Rome (229) + Sts. Digna & Emerita of Rome (254) + St. Victoria of Rome (256) + St. Anastasia of Rome (257) + St. Basila of Rome (257) + Sts. Rufina & Segunda of Rome (257) + St. Eugenia of Rome-Alexandria (c. 257) + St. Agripina of Rome (c. 262) + St. Benita of Rome (262) + St. Prisca of Rome (c. 270) + St. Restituta of Rome (270) + St. Susanna of Rome (c. 295) + St. Aurea of Ostia (250) + St. Secundina of Anagni (250) + St. Albina of Formio, Campania (249-251) + St. Agatha of Catania (251) + St. Eutalia of Sicily (257)

Africa:

St. Restiuta of Ponizara (255) + St. Gundenia of Carthage (203) + St. Irene of Carthage (250)

France:

St. Alvera of Luxeuil + St. Protasia of Senlis (c. 282) + St. Regina of Autun (c. 250) + St. Pascasia of Dijon + St. Julia of Troyes (275) + St. Sabina of Troyes (c. 280) + St. Poma of Chalons + St. Macra of Reims (287) + St. Albina of Paris + St. Honorina of Normandy (c. 300) + St. Valeria of Limoges + St. Eustela of Saintes + St. Solina of Aquitaine + St. Faith of Agen (287)

Spain:

St. Beata (c. 270) + St. Marta of Astorga (c. 250) + Sts. Justa & Rufina of Seville (c. 287) + St. Columba (273)

Fourth Century

Palestine and Egypt:

Meuris and Teca of Gaza (c. 307) + St. Susanna of Eleutheropolis (c. 362) + St. Isidora of Tabennisi (c. 365) + St. Iraida of Memphis + St. Theodora of Alexandria (c. 304) + St. Potamiana of Alexandria (c. 304) + St. Catharine of Alexandria (310) + St. Sincletica of Alexandria (350) + Sts. Theodora, Theodoxia, & Theopista of Canopo (312) + St. Sara of the Egyptian desert (c. 400)

Asia and Greece:

St. Theodosia of Tyre (308) + St. Justina of Antioch (c. 304) + St. Drosis of Antioch (c. 304) + St. Pelagia of Antioch (c. 306) + St. Febronia of Nisibe, Assyria (310?) + St. Christina of Persia (c. 343) + St. Gudelia of Persia (c. 343) + St. Christina of Georgia + St. Macrina of Pontus (c. 380) + St. Dorothy of Cesarea, Cappadocia (c. 304) + St. Eutochium of Tarsus (362) + St. Parasceve of Iconium (c. 304) + St. Basilisa of Nicomedia (c. 303) + St. Dominica of Nicomedia (c. 304) + St. Euphemia of Chalcedon (307?) + Sts. Menodora, Metrodora, & Ninphodora of Bitinia (306) + St. Anysia of Thessalonica (304) + St. Matrona of Thessalonica (304)

***

Holy Virgins, Pray For Us!