Saint Natalia of Nicomedia
Profile
Christian woman married to a non-Christian Nicomedian imperial officer named Adrian. Her husband was so impressed by Christians persecuted by Diocletian that he openly declared he was a Christian, though he hadn’t even been baptized; he was immediately arrested. Natalia visited him, arranged for his instruction in the faith, and ministered to other prisoners. When Adrian was sentenced to death and could have no visitors, Natalia disguised herself as a boy and bribed her way in to see him. On 8 September 304 she watched Adrian‘s tortured execution, and had to be restrained from throwing herself on the funeral pyre. When a storm put out the fire, she managed to recover Adrian‘s hand, which she kept as a relic. She then moved to Argyropolis where she lived out the rest of her days alone.
Born
- 1 December 311 at Argyropolis of natural causes
- woman holding her husband’s severed hand
MLA Citation
- “Saint Natalia of Nicomedia“. CatholicSaints.Info. 20 August 2020. Web. 10 May 2024. <>