July 20
Saints of the Day
 

Saint Margaret of Antioch, Marine
From Antioch, modern Turkey, martyred in horrible different ways

    Aprocryphal virgin and martyr. Her father was a pagan priest in Pisidian Antioch, Asia Minor (modern Turkey). Her mother died when Margaret was an infant, and the child was raised by a Christian woman. Her father disowned her, her nurse adopted her, and Margaret converted, consecrated herself and her virginity to God.

    A Roman prefect saw the beautiful young woman tending sheep, and tried to get her into his bed. When she refused, he denounced her as a Christian, and she was brought to trial. When she refused to sacrifice to the pagan gods, the authorities tried to burn her, then boil her in a large cauldron; each time her prayers kept her unharmed. She was finally martyred by beheading.

    Part of her story involves her meeting the devil in the form of a dragon, being swalled by the dragon, and then escaping safely when the cross she carried irritated the dragon's innard; this accounts for this virgin's association with pregnancy, labour, and childbirth. She was one of the saints who appeared to Saint Joan of Arc. One of the Fourteen Holy Helpers.
Images Gallery of images of Saint Margaret [7 images, 110 kb]
Additional Information http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/saintm19.htm
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