SAINT PRISCA
Feast Day - January 18
Lived (b.? - d.?)
There are actually three St. Priscilla’s who lived in the first few
centuries of the Church – all of whom were martyrs – and two of them
share the same feast day of January 18! It is the virgin martyr St.
Prisca that the Church primarily celebrates today though.
Born of a noble family in Rome during the reign of Roman Emperor, Claudius II. She probably was a Christian from birth, but was arrested during the persecutions, at about age, thirteen. She was brought before the Emperor for interrogation. Despite her age, Prisca courageously proclaimed and upheld her Catholic Faith, even though she knew it may lead to the end of her life.
Legend says that Saint Prisca was of a noble family. At age thirteen, she was accused of Christianity before Emperor Claudius. He ordered her to make a sacrifice to the god Apollo. When she refused because of her Christian faith, she was beaten and sent to prison.
Upon her release from prison, she still held steadfastly to her faith in Jesus Christ. This time her punishment included flogging, the pouring of boiling tallow upon her, and a second imprisonment. She was at last thrown to a lion in the amphitheater, but it quietly lay down at her feet.
She was starved for three days in a slaves' prison house, and then tortured upon the rack. Pieces of flesh were next torn from her body with iron hooks, and she was thrown on a burning pile.
She miraculously still remained alive, but was beheaded at the tenth milestone on the Via Ostiensis—the road from Rome to Ostia.
Born of a noble family in Rome during the reign of Roman Emperor, Claudius II. She probably was a Christian from birth, but was arrested during the persecutions, at about age, thirteen. She was brought before the Emperor for interrogation. Despite her age, Prisca courageously proclaimed and upheld her Catholic Faith, even though she knew it may lead to the end of her life.
Legend says that Saint Prisca was of a noble family. At age thirteen, she was accused of Christianity before Emperor Claudius. He ordered her to make a sacrifice to the god Apollo. When she refused because of her Christian faith, she was beaten and sent to prison.
Upon her release from prison, she still held steadfastly to her faith in Jesus Christ. This time her punishment included flogging, the pouring of boiling tallow upon her, and a second imprisonment. She was at last thrown to a lion in the amphitheater, but it quietly lay down at her feet.
She was starved for three days in a slaves' prison house, and then tortured upon the rack. Pieces of flesh were next torn from her body with iron hooks, and she was thrown on a burning pile.
She miraculously still remained alive, but was beheaded at the tenth milestone on the Via Ostiensis—the road from Rome to Ostia.
Legend tells us that when she was martyred, a
great eagle appeared above her and protected her body for several days
until the Christians were able to retrieve it. The Christians buried her body in a catacomb at the place of her death.
She was buried in the Catacomb of Saint Priscilla - the Catacomb named after the Saint Priscilla, wife of a Roman Senator, who shares the same feast day of January 18 with the child-martyr, Prisca. Legend says she opened her home near the Catacomb to Christians and befriended Saint Peter who used her home as his headquarters in Rome.
She was martyred during the reign of Emperor Domitian. An
interesting fact is that there is a speculation that this Saint Priscilla
was a family relation of the child-martyr St. Prisca, who is buried in
her Catacomb.
The third Saint Priscilla was a disciple of Saint Paul and wife of the Jewish tent-maker, Aquila.
The third Saint Priscilla was a disciple of Saint Paul and wife of the Jewish tent-maker, Aquila.
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