Eudocia of Heliopolis (martyred 1 March 100)
A Samaritan woman living in the Phoenician city of Heliopolis, Eudocia was variously described as having lived a "dissolute life," a "profligate life," a life of "debauchery" and "harlotry." She was a young woman of "blinding beauty" who led many into sin and amassed a "huge fortune" (obviously bad because she was a beautiful woman!). Some accounts describe her as a courtesan.
Her life was transformed, however, after her encounter with a monk--she converted to Christianity, gave her wealth to the Church, and retired into a convent, where she lived a life of penitence for more than fifty years.
Her example influenced many to convert to Christianity, and those conversions drew the attention of authorities to her. During the reign of the Roman emperor Trajan, she was martyred by beheading.
Her feast day is celebrated today, 1 March.
Her feast day is celebrated today, 1 March.
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