St. Theodosia, Virginmartyr, of Tyre

Commemorated on May 29 (also on April 3)

St. Theodosia of Tyre lived during the third and fourth centuries. During a persecution against the Christians, seventeen-year-old Theodosia went up to the condemned prisoners in the Praetorium in Caesarea. It was Holy Pascha, and the martyrs spoke of the Kingdom of God. St. Theodosia asked them to remember her before the Lord, when they should come to stand before Him.

The soldiers saw that the maiden bowed to the prisoners, and they seized her and led her before Governor Urban. The governor directed the maiden to offer sacrifice to the idols but she refused, confessing her faith in Christ. She was then subjected to tortures. Her body was raked with iron claws and her bones were exposed.

St. Theodosia was silent and endured the sufferings with a happy face. In response to the governor’s second suggestion to offer sacrifice to the idols she answered, “You fool, I have been granted to join the martyrs!” She was then thrown into the sea with a stone around her neck, but angels pulled her out of the water. She was then thrown to the wild beasts to be eaten. Seeing that the animals would not touch her, St. Theodosia was beheaded.

After her martyrdom, St. Theodosia appeared to her parents, who had tried to talk their daughter into not confessing her faith in Christ. She was in bright garb with a crown upon her head and a luminous gold cross in her hand. She told her parents: “Behold the great glory of which you wanted to deprive me!”

St. Theodosia of Tyre suffered for Christ in 307 or 308. On May 29 we commemorate the transfer of her relics to Constantinople and Venice. She is also commemorated on April 3.

By permission of the Orthodox Church in America (www.oca.org)