Febronia of Nisibis


Febronia
Martyrdom of St. Phebronia, fresco in the Byzantine monastery of St. Phebronia, Palagonia
Virgin and martyr
Born284
Died304
Venerated inEastern Orthodox Church

Oriental Orthodoxy

Roman Catholic Church
CanonizedPre-Congregation
Major shrineSan Carlo ai Catinari, Rome[1]
Feast25 June Roman Catholic Church

12 February Eastern Orthodox Church
25 June Greek Orthodox Church
1 Epip Coptic Church

Tuesday after second Sunday of the Exaltation of the Cross Armenian Apostolic Church
AttributesPalm of martyrdom and the shears used to cut off her breasts[2]
PatronagePalagonia, Sicily

Phebronia of Nisibis, also known as Phebronia of Sebapte, was a nun at Nisibis (modern-day Nusaybin, Turkey). She suffered persecution under Diocletian, who offered her freedom if she renounced her faith and married his nephew, Lysimachus, who had been leaning towards conversion to Christianity. Febronia refused and was tortured, suffered mutilation and death. Lysimachus, witnessing her suffering, converted.[3]

Saint Phebronia's tomb can be found in a monastery named after her in the village of Himo, near the city of Qamishli in northeastern Syria.[4]

Phebronia is one of the 140 Colonnade saints whose images adorn St. Peter's Square. She is known as a Holy Virgin Martyr.[5]

In the Coptic Orthodox Church, her feast day is 1 Epip which corresponds to 8 July (Gregorian Calendar) or 25 June (Julian Calendar).[6]

  1. ^ Dall’Oriente all’Occidente il culto millenario di Santa Febronia (in Italian)
  2. ^ "Febronia of Nisibis". Patron Saint Index. Archived from the original on 13 September 2009.
  3. ^ "Febronia of Nisibis". Patron Saint Index. Archived from the original on 13 September 2009.
  4. ^ أرمني, فيكين شيتريان-صحافي وكاتب (2022-06-03). "Syrian Christians: Life Between War and Migration | Daraj". daraj.com. Retrieved 2022-08-14.
  5. ^ "St. Peter's Square - The Saint Statues on the Colonnades". stpetersbasilica.info. Retrieved 2023-06-23.
  6. ^ Egypt, Michael Ghaly-. "Abib Month Coptic Calendar - Coptic Synaxarium (Coptic Orthodox Calendar: Daily Synaxarion | St-Takla.org". st-takla.org. Retrieved 2023-06-23.