ST SECUNDINA, VIRGIN AND MARTYR - 15 JANUARY

 

ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN JANUARY

Saints celebrated on the 15th of January

Prayer to the Angels and the Saints

Heavenly Father, in praising Your Angels and Saints we praise Your glory, for by honouring them we honour You, their Creator. Their splendour shows us Your greatness, which infinitely surpasses that of all creation.

In Your loving providence, You saw fit to send Your Angels to watch over us. Grant that we may always be under their protection and one day enjoy their company in heaven.

Heavenly Father, You are glorified in Your Saints, for their glory is the crowning of Your gifts. You provide an example for us by their lives on earth, You give us their friendship by our communion with them, You grant us strength and protection through their prayer for the Church, and You spur us on to victory over evil and the prize of eternal glory by this great company of witnesses.

Grant that we who aspire to take part in their joy may be filled with the Spirit that blessed their lives, so that, after sharing their faith on earth, we may also experience their peace in heaven. Amen.

ST SECUNDINA, VIRGIN AND MARTYR

Saint Secundina (Secunda) suffered in the persecution of Decian. Following the accusation by a certain Tarquinus, St Secundina was seized at Anagni by the prefect Valerianus, and after five months' imprisonment she was subjected to a painful interrogation. 

FROM THE HAGIOGRAPHERS' ACCOUNTS, IT IS NOT QUITE CLEAR WHAT HAPPENED IMMEDIATELY AFTERWARDS

However, her acts seem to be flawed with  improbabilities (as far as the Bollandists' sources are concerned; the historian Baronius seems to have had better ones, but he provides no additional information), which is why we omit further excerpts.

Her body was initially buried at Salapi (?) and later transferred to Anagni. Her name is inserted in the Roman Martyrology.

THE INFORMATION FROM THE PROPER OF MAINZ

In the Proper of Mainz [in Germany], where our saint is venerated with three lessons on February 3, A.D. 257 is mentioned as the year of death. She was, as is told there, a disciple of Bishop St Magnus, and was imprisoned not only as a Christian but also as a sorceress. When she courageously declared before the judge that she would never sacrifice to the demons (devils) but only to the true God, her face was cruelly bruised and wounded. 

HEAVENLY LIGHT AND COMFORT

During this ordeal, the holy martyr looked up to heaven and prayed for herself and her enemies. A voice from heaven comforted and strengthened her. Since this voice was also heard from the Gentile bystanders, many converted and were baptised. She died on January 15 under the scourge of the executioners. In the church prayer it is said that God so enlightened her mind with the light of His grace that she was able - by her faith and example - to enlighten the dark souls of the Gentiles. We here prayerfully add the request that He may enlighten our hearts, too, with the same radiance from above.

(Information from Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints, 1858)