Saint Tatiana of Rome

Tatiana came from Rome and lived under Emperor Alexander Severus, in the 3rd century. The daughter of a secretly Christian father who had served as consul, she held the church office of deaconess and was known for caring for the sick and the poor.

When she was arrested, she was taken into a pagan temple where, according to tradition, her prayer brought down the statue of the god. Harsh torture followed: she was beaten, blinded and thrown to a hungry lion, which did her no harm. She was finally beheaded, around AD 225–230.