Martyr 3rd century

Euthalia of Sicily

died 3rd century

Also known as Euthalia of Leontini

A young woman of Leontini in Sicily whose mother was healed through the saints and led the family toward Christ; she was martyred for confessing the faith.

Feast Day

March 2

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Commemorated as

The Holy Virgin Martyr Euthalia of Sicily

Life

Euthalia was a young woman of Leontini (also given as Leontina) in Sicily, venerated as a virgin and martyr of the pre-Nicene era. According to her synaxarion account, she was raised in a pagan household and came to the Christian faith together with her mother, who was healed of a long-standing affliction after her conversion. Euthalia was put to death for openly confessing Christ. She is commemorated in the Eastern Orthodox and Byzantine Catholic Churches on March 2.

The tradition centers on the conversion of Euthalia's family. Her mother, a pagan, had for a long while suffered from an issue of blood. By tradition, the martyrs Alphaeus, Philadelphus, and Cyprian — themselves connected with Sicily and commemorated on May 10 — appeared to the mother in a dream and told her she would be healed only if she believed in Christ and was baptized. After she and Euthalia were baptized, the mother was healed of her infirmity.

The household's conversion provoked a violent reaction from Euthalia's brother, named in the sources as Sirmianus (also Sermilianus). When he learned of the baptism he turned against his mother and sister; the mother fled the family home, while Euthalia chose to remain despite threats. She declared herself a Christian and was prepared to die for the faith. After enduring torment she was beheaded by her brother.

Timeline 2 moments Read Hide

3rd century Conversion at Leontini Euthalia and her mother are baptized after the mother's healing from a long affliction.
3rd century Martyrdom Euthalia is beheaded by her brother for confessing Christ; commemorated March 2.

Contributions & Legacy

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Conversion and Healing

The synaxarion frames Euthalia's entry into the faith through her mother's illness. The mother had suffered for a long while from an issue of blood, and by tradition the three martyrs of Sicily appeared to her in a dream, promising healing on condition of belief in Christ and baptism. Mother and daughter were baptized together, and the mother was healed.

Sources differ on the mother's name: some accounts leave her unnamed, while others record her variously as Eutropia or as Euthalia (sharing her daughter's name). The healing and conversion are common to all accounts; the database's own record names neither the mother nor the brother, noting only that the mother was healed through the saints and led the family toward Christ.

Martyrdom

When her brother discovered the family's baptism he was enraged. By one account he attempted to strangle his mother, and when Euthalia rebuked him she openly confessed herself a Christian. The mother escaped, but Euthalia remained behind under threat of violence. After she withstood his demand that she renounce the faith, she was tortured and then beheaded with a sword. The account is preserved in the Orthodox synaxarion for March 2.

Sources: OCA Synaxarion (oca.org), Lives of the Saints