Who is Saint Susanna?
|
|
St. Susanna was born near the end of the third century in the Roman province of Dalmatia, which was in the area of modern day Yugoslavia. Her family later moved to Rome. Her mother died when Susanna was small, and her father then became a priest. Her father's brother, Caius, was named Pope in 283 A.D. Two other brothers, Claudis and Maximus, were pagans and in the army of Emperor Diocletian, their cousin, who led the final Roman persecution of the Church.
|
| Diocletian, who had no sons, gave his daughter in marriage to his friend Galerius, hoping they would produce a male heir to the throne. When she died childless Diocletian, wanting an heir who shared his blood, turned his thoughts to his only other female relative of marriageable age - his cousin's daughter, Susanna. He quickly sent her Uncle Claudius to tell the teenager she had been chosen as the next wife of Galerius.
Unknown to anyone, Susanna had taken a vow of virginity. When she told her uncle of this, and explained what her faith meant to her, Claudius was so moved that he, his wife and two children asked to be baptized. He did not return to the Emperor.
|
|
Diocletian then sent Maximus to see what had become of his brother. This uncle was also converted by Susanna. When he didn't return to the Emperor, Diocletian sent an idolator, Arsizius, to check out the situation. When Arsizius brought back the news that the whole family had become Christians, Diocletian put Susanna and her father in prison and had the others executed, except for the Pope.
Diocletian ordered his wife Serena, also a Christian, to talk Susanna into consenting to the wedding. Instead she took Susanna under her protection. Enraged, Diocletian told Galerius to go to Susanna and take her by force, but when Galerius entered Susanna's room an angel frightened him away. Diocletian then had Susanna brought before him to worship an idol, but the idol disappeared in her presence. Even angrier, Diocletian had Susanna beaten and finally beheaded. Her father died in prison six months later.
The bodies of Susanna and her father were returned for burial to a home they had in Rome which had been turned into a church. There is still a church on that spot today, named after St. Susanna. It is the official English speaking church in Rome for American visitors. Members of our parish have worshipped there. It is for this great virgin-martyr, Susanna of Rome, that our own parish has been named.
Would you like to learn why our parish was named "St Susanna"? Click here.