St. Juliana

Daily Saint

February 16

St. Juliana

c. 285–c. 304

Patron Saint of sickness, chronic illness

St. Juliana of Nicomedia was a courageous Christian martyr of the early fourth century, a period marked by intense persecution of Christians. Under severe persecution, she maintained resolute faith, courage, and devotion to God.

St. Juliana was born in Nicomedia to pagan parents. She converted to Christianity as a young girl and was secretly baptized. Her parents arranged a marriage for her to a Roman senator, but St. Juliana had consecrated her life to God and refused to marry. She was brought before the local authorities, who demanded that she renounce her faith and worship pagan gods.

St. Juliana was beaten and imprisoned for refusing to sacrifice to pagan gods, yet she remained unwavering in her faith.

According to legend, when St. Juliana was imprisoned, Satan appeared in her cell as an angel of light, attempting to trick her into renouncing Christ and sacrificing to idols. Praying for discernment, St. Juliana recognized the deception, bound the devil, and forced him to confess his identity.

St. Juliana was beheaded in the year 304. She was highly venerated in the early Church, and her relics are preserved in various locations, including churches in Italy and Belgium.

Discover More About St. Juliana

How is St. Juliana of Nicomedia venerated today?

The relics of St. Juliana are venerated in Naples, Italy; Brussels, Belgium; and other locations. Tradition holds that her relics were moved from Nicomedia to Naples. A letter written by Pope Gregory the Great mentions a church built for her in Brussels. Today, some relics are kept in the Church of Our Lady of Sablon in Brussels, which may come from the original church built in her honor there. Many churches have been dedicated to her, including the Romanesque Church of St. Juliana in Spain (Colegiata-Parroquial de Santa Juliana), a significant pilgrimage site, and the St. Juliana Church within the Savior-Transfiguration Cathedral in Torzhok, Russia.

How is St. Juliana depicted in Christian art?

St. Juliana of Nicomedia is depicted in art as a victorious young woman in paintings, icons, prints, and stained-glass art. She is often shown battling or leading a chained, winged devil, symbolizing her triumph over temptation and evil during her martyrdom. She is invoked against sickness, so images of her tortures reflect her role as a patroness for bodily ills. She often holds a palm branch, signifying her martyrdom, and may wear a crown with a cross on her breast.

What happened to St. Juliana’s betrothed, Eleusius?

According to legend, a fateful death awaited Eleusius, the Roman senator who was betrothed to St. Juliana. It is said that when St. Juliana refused to marry Eleusius, he became enraged. He denounced her as a Christian and subjected her to severe torture. Shortly after St. Juliana was beheaded around 304 A.D., legend says that Eleusius was traveling by sea when his boat was wrecked in a storm. His body was washed ashore on a deserted island, where a lion or wild beasts consumed it. These details can be found in the “Acts of Saint Juliana,” which contains most of what we know about St. Juliana’s life.

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