Saint Hermione of Ephesusis

Saint Hermione of Ephesusis

Saint Hermione of Ephesusis a 2nd-century Christian martyr venerated by the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches.   She was the daughter of Saint Philip the Deacon.  The Bible does not mention her name but says that Philip had four daughters^.  However, the Greek Menaion, an annual calendar preserving the memory of martyrs and saints does name her.

In the Acts of the Apostles, Hermione and her sisters are called prophetess.  Hermione and her sister Eutychia went to Asia Minor in search of Apostle John. However, John had already died so she became the disciple of Petronius, a disciple of Saint Paul.

When the emperor Trajan passed through her town on the way to fight the Persians, he admonished her to recant Christianity, which she refused.  He then ordered that she be struck on the face for several hours, which she joyfully endured.  She was released and went on to build a hospice.  She was known as a prophet and healer.

She was killed during the persecutions of Christians under the Roman emperor Hadrian.  Her Vita tells that Hadrian had heard of her talents and summoned her.  He questioned her and when she refused to aid him in his conquests became so enraged he order her first thrown into a vat full of boiling pitch, sulphur, asphalt and molten lead.  When this failed to affect her she was thrown into a large red-hot copper vessel.  Again with no effect.  She was taken to a temple to offer libations, when, however, she prayed the pagan statues fell over and shattered.  Hadrian then sent two men to behead her and she told them she wanted to pray before she got beheaded but they just ignored her.  But when they tried, their arms got charred, and the men bent down and begged her to pray to God.

After that, she lived a peaceful life, and died on September 4, 117.  Her feast day is September 4th.