Christina of Bolsena

Christina of Bolsena lived in the 3rd century in the area of the Roman town of Bolsena. She is worshiped in the Catholic Church as a martyr.

History

In 1880, the foundations of a Christian basilica were uncovered near the town of Bolsena in Italy. In addition, they found a cemetery with Roman - the Apollo consecrated - and Christian graves. In the exposed high altar of the basilica was discovered an ancient marble urn containing the relics of the saints. The altar plate bears the inscription: † IRQESCPBATXM This inscription is interpreted as an abbreviation for " Hic Requiescit Corpus Beatae Xristinae Martyris ", in German: "Here lies the body of the blessed martyr Christina". The bones contained in the urn are those of a young girl. The archaeological finds - wall remains, coins and other inscriptions - According to the church was built in the 10th century.

The wide veneration of saints was favored because Bolsena station on the pilgrimage route of Via Francigena (which is here identical with the course of the Via Cassia ) to Rome was - Pilgrims brought the stories of the martyr in the entire Christian world. The myth-making was probably influenced by other saints stories; Parallels to the legend of Saint Barbara suggest confusion. The Memorial of Saint Christina is celebrated in the Catholic church since the 8th century on 24 July. It belongs to the city of Palermo cartridges.

Tradition

Christina grew up in a very wealthy parents. Although she was very beautiful and many wanted to take it to the wife, her parents to give it to someone for marriage refused because they wanted to dedicate to the service of the Roman gods of the Jungfrau. Her father therefore closed as a precaution with twelve servants in a tower and gave her silver and gold Götterbildnisse with.

One of her servants, who was a Christian, she taught in the Christian faith. The other servants reported Christina's father that they did not want to offer the usual incense to the gods. Her father spoke to them, they should sacrifice not only a god, because this would enrage the other gods. Christina replied that she bring her victims only the Triune God dar. Then she broke the Götterbildnisse her father and distributed the gold and silver to the poor. When her father heard this, he was so angry that he let Christina flogged with rods and put in jail. Christina's body had miraculously no traces of blows. Her father could only explain this with magic and let Christina get on a ship where you wanted it to sink with a millstone around the neck in the sea. But angels came to the rescue, they talked about water and they brought into the country again. There, she was thrown into a fiery furnace, where they lived for five days and nights. Later they let snakes loose on her. The toxic licked her feet, the other wrapped around her neck without causing you some grief. Last ripped you her tongue out, but Christina did not lose the language. In the temple of Apollo rushed to her prayer the idols in the dust.

Thereupon one pierced Christina with two arrows. The one she met in the heart, the second in the page on which the martyr died. It is considered patroness of Müller, sailors and archers.