October 8: Saint Pelagia of Antioch, Martyr

Faithful to Christ unto the ultimate sacrifice

In the heart of the Byzantine Empire, an ancient liturgical calendar commissioned by Emperor Basil II preserves the names of several Christian martyrs; among them we find Pelagia, alongside Domitius, Aquila—described as an eparch—and Theodosius. Their memory, kept alive in the Eastern tradition, also reached the West through the Roman Martyrology.

These Christians lived during the reign of Julian the Apostate, the emperor who sought by every means to revive pagan worship, believing it would halt the Empire’s decline. At a public gathering held in Caesarea, while rites in honor of the ancient deities were being celebrated, Pelagia and her companions openly opposed them, denouncing the falsehood of that religion imposed by force. Their steadfast witness led to their arrest, torture and, ultimately, beheading. It was the year 362, twelve months before emperor Julian’s death, when he would fall in battle against the barbarians.