Friday 7 September 2018

# Saints

Saint Regina

The 7th of September is the feast day of Saint Regina (d. 286 A.D.). She is the patron saint against poverty, impoverishment, shepherdesses, and torture victims.

Saint Regina died in 286 A.D. and was born in France to pagan parents. After her mother died during childbirth, her father gave her to be cared for by a Christian nurse who the secretly had her baptised and raised in the Christian faith. When she grew older it was evident that she had embraced Christianity and her father disowned her. She then lived with her Christian nurse and they both lived in poverty. To support the household, she would tend to the sheep. This time of solitude gave her time to pray and she meditated on the lives of the saints. A Roman proconsul, called Olybrius wanted to marry her when she was 15 years old. When he discovered she was a Christian he asked her to renounce her faith to save her life and marry him. Regina had already taken a vow of virginity to Christ and refused to deny her faith. She was cast into prison, and Olybrius visited her in prison hoping she will weaken and eventually renounce her faith. She again refused to give up her faith which angered Olybrius and had her tortured by scourging, burning and at the rake. She was then beheaded. Her strong resolve not to renounce her faith and the appearance of a dove above her caused many witnesses to convert to Christianity. Many miracles were attributed to her relics.

Image: Statue of St. Regina at church dedicated to her at Drensteinfurt.

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