Picture: Sailko, derivative by Fulvio314 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Saint Anatolia
Christian saint martyred in 250
SaintResearchedPre-congregation
Feast: 10 July (not on the universal Roman calendar; kept in the Roman Martyrology or local calendars)
Born
236
Died
251
verified
Beatified
—
not needed: before formal processes
Canonised
By tradition
recognised before formal processes began
Who they were
Anatolia, a virgin, lived in retirement with her sister during the persecution of Decius and refused marriage, strengthened by a vision of an angel.
Banished and denounced as a Christian, she was shut in with a venomous serpent, which did her no harm; her executioner was converted and died a martyr. She was put to death by the sword.
The miracles
There was never a formal cause: she has been honoured as a saint since before the Church's formal processes began.
Why that counted as sanctity
A virgin martyr of the persecution of Decius.
Sources
- Catholic Encyclopedia (1913), via New Advent - St. Anatolia
- Wikidata Q3615108 — dates, feast day and identifiers (CC0)
Checked against the sources listed on 21 September 2026. Corrections welcome.