St. Eurosia (or Orosia) of Spain

Commemorated on June 25

St. Eurosia (or Orosia) is the patron saint of Jaca, a city in the province of Huesca of northeastern Spain, in the Pyrenees Mountains. She was born in Bayonne as a member of the nobility.

Upon turning sixteen, she was promised to a Moor in an arranged marriage. Eurosia escaped and hid in a cave near the Pyrenees Mountains. She was pursued and eventually caught. Eurosia invoked the heavens and a lightning bolt hit the ground near her would-be captors. She was ultimately dragged from the cave by her hair. Her limbs were amputated and she was beheaded, receiving the crown of martyrdom. At the exact moment of her death, a terrible storm came, terrorizing her tormentors.

A shepherd eventually discovered her relics thanks to the appearance of the Theotokos that identified their resting place. Her head remained at the original simple shrine, while the townspeople, recognizing the importance of Eurosia’s relics, brought her body to Jaca, which had been designated the capital of the kingdom of Aragon. Drawing pilgrims to the city, the traditional route of the Way of St. James was shifted. Instead, a route was established through Somport and Jaca to bring traffic through the city and was reinforced by publicized miracles at the shrine that was now on the direct route of the Camino de Santiago.

There is also a chapel dedicated to St. Eurosia in La Seo Cathedral, Zaragoza.

By permission of www.orthodoxwiki.org