Daily Saint

St. Felicitas of Rome, a wealthy widow, was deeply devoted to her Christian faith during Christian persecutions in the 2nd century. Her story of tragedy and injustice underscores the courage and faith lived out by early Christians.

St. Felicitas was a wealthy widow who lived by her Christian values. She assisted the poor through charitable works and provided support for the Christian community in Rome. Her bold witness and influence won converts to the Christian faith. But it was her refusal to sacrifice to the pagan gods that infuriated the pagan priests, who reported her to the Emperor. They claimed that the Roman Gods would remove their favor from Rome in anger if St. Felicitas and her sons did not sacrifice to them.

She was summoned before pagan authorities and ordered to sacrifice to the Roman gods. When she refused, her seven sons—Januarius, Felix, Philip, Silvanus, Alexander, Vitalis, and Martialis—were also brought forward and pressured to deny Christ, which led to the family’s martyrdom.

One after another, each of her sons chose to die rather than abandon the faith their mother had given them. And with each execution, St. Felicitas was asked to renounce her faith, but she refused.  Finally, St. Felicitas herself was martyred. She is honored for her fortitude in the face of persecution and her devotion and unwavering faith in God, which she instilled in her sons.

Devotion to St. Felicitas and her sons spread quickly throughout the Church. Their heroic martyrdom was honored in the 2nd century, and their names appear in ancient liturgical calendars.

St. Felicitas’ story reminds us that the cost of discipleship sometimes demands great sacrifice, but God’s grace provides the courage to endure.