unless otherwise stated.
Saint Pudentiana.
Virgin.
Feast Day 19 May.
Simple.
White Vestments.
English: Saint Pudentiana.
Detail of a mosaic in the Apse of Santa Pudenziana, Rome.
Deutsch: Pudentiana, Mosaik aus Santa Pudenziana
This File: 25 October 2005.
User: Marcus Cyron
(Wikimedia Commons)
The Nave,
Basilica of Santa Pudentiana, Rome.
Photo: 13 May 2009.
Source: Own work.
Author: Welleschik
(Wikimedia Commons)
At the death of her father, she distributed all her riches to the Poor, in agreement with her sister, and she was barely sixteen years old when she died, in the Reign of Emperor Antoninus.
Her remains rest in her house, which she had converted into a Church. Her father had received Saint Peter there and she had placed it at the disposal of Pope Pius I, who Celebrated The Holy Mysteries there during “The Persecution”.
This is the “Title-Church” of Pudentiana, where The Station is held on the Tuesday in The Third Week of Lent. [“Title-Churches”, bearing as Title the name of their Founder or Foundress, were the usual Meeting Places of Christians in Rome, and became the first “Parish Churches”.]
Mass: Dilexísti.
“Saint Praxedes and Saint Pudentiana
collecting The Blood of The Martyrs”.
Artist: Giovanni Paolo Rossetti (1621).
Basilica of Santa Pudenziana, Rome.
Photo: 13 April 2010.
Source: Own work.
Author: Georges Jansoone (JoJan).
(Wikimedia Commons)
These two sister-martyrs, both so highly dedicated teen-age saints, both of them so young (close to the tender age of 16 according to various hagiographic sources; some sources seem to imply they were twins), they really shame this observer with their absolute devotion to the corporal work of mercy of burying the Christian dead (because of their certainty that they held in the Resurrection: it follows).
ReplyDelete(Contrast that with the willingness today of some Christians to perform cremation and scattering of the ashes. [!]) (-Comment by Dante P, Part I)
(Cont. Part II) Another aspect of this martyr-saint that Zephyrinus’ blog skillfully underlines is the beautiful Basilica of Santa Pudenziana (@ Via Urbana No. 160, Rome)— a basilica so similar to that of her sister’s church, Santa Prassede, both of them in fact situated very close by to the magnificent Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. The lifelike, “glowing” apse mosaic depicts both of them taking off their martyrs’ crowns in humble homage to Our Lord; and the images appear so life-like as to suggest they be based on some tradition of their actual appearance (although the mosaic was completed much later, during P. Paschal I’s reign, 817-824 AD).
ReplyDeleteA thoughtful and wonderful very young martyr-saint and her sister, who may make us think: “What more can I do to evidence my devotion?” (It embarrasses this observer..) -Comment by Dante P
A most thoughtful and provoking Comment from our Mediæval Architectural, Liturgical, and Roman Travel Correspondent, Dante P, for which, as always, we are most grateful.
DeleteIndeed, the devotedness and holiness of both of these Saintly youngsters is self-evident.
Such charitable works of mercy; Such holiness; Such devotedness.
As always, we are most grateful for the thoughtful directions provided by Dante P, our Roman Bus and Coach Advisor.
Any prospective Pilgrim wishing to elicit information on Roman Bus Tickets, prior to arriving in Rome, please leave a request in the Comments Box, here, and Zephyrinus will Forward all such requests to our Roman Liturgical Pilgrimage and Travel Correspondent.