May 19, 2016

β›ͺ Saint Pudentiana of Rome - Virgin, Martyr, Friend to the Apostles

β›ͺ Saint of the Day: May 19

Saint Pudentiana of Rome: Virgin, Martyr, Friend to the Apostles

Early Life and Family: Saint Pudentiana was born into a devout Christian family in Rome during the 2nd century. She was the daughter of a Roman senator named Pudens and the sister of Saint Praxedes.

Devotion to the Faith: From a young age, Pudentiana exhibited a deep devotion to her Christian faith. She dedicated herself to prayer, acts of charity, and serving the early Christian community in Rome.

Friend to the Apostles: Pudentiana was known for her close association with the apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paul. She welcomed them into her home, providing them with hospitality and support during their missionary journeys in Rome.

Martyrdom and Witness to the Faith: During the persecution of Christians under the Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius, Pudentiana fearlessly proclaimed her faith. Refusing to renounce her beliefs, she endured torture and martyrdom for the sake of Christ.

Legacy and Veneration: Saint Pudentiana's steadfast commitment to her faith and her friendship with the apostles left a lasting impact on the early Christian community in Rome. She is revered as a virgin and martyr who courageously bore witness to the Gospel.

Feast Day and Devotion:

The feast day of Saint Pudentiana is celebrated on May 19th. She is venerated as a patron saint of Rome and is invoked by those seeking courage in their faith and intercession for purity of heart.


Prayer to Saint Pudentiana:

O Saint Pudentiana, faithful virgin and martyr,
who bore witness to Christ in the face of persecution, intercede for us before the throne of God. Grant us the courage to remain steadfast in our faith, even in the midst of trials and tribulations. May your example inspire us to live lives of devotion and love for our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Saint Pudentiana Crowns Saint Paul
SHE was sister of St. Praxedes, and daughter of Pudens a Roman senator, who was converted to the faith by the apostles SS. Peter and Paul. Her festival is mentioned in the Sacramentary of St. Gregory. Her church in Rome is esteemed the most ancient that is known in the world. It was in the first ages called the church of the Pastor, and is said to have been the palace of Pudens, in which St. Peter lodged and celebrated the divine mysteries.

 (Rev. Alban Butler (1711–73).  Volume V)

Basilica of Santa Pudenziana, Rome, Italy
According to an ancient tradition, St. Peter was the guest of the senator Pudens during his stay in Rome. Pudens had two daughters, Pudentiana and Praxedes, virgins who dedicated themselves wholly to acts of charity. After the death of their parents, Pudentiana and her sister Praxedes distributed their patrimony to the poor. The fact that Puden's entire household of some 96 persons was baptized by Pope Pius I (d. 154) is ascribed to their zealous activities. When Christian services were forbidden by Emperor Antoninus Pius, Pius I celebrated Mass in their home. The saints were buried next to their father in the catacomb of St. Priscilla. One of Rome's most ancient stational churches is dedicated to St. Pudentiana.

β€” Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch.


The confessio under the main altar of the basilica houses the Crypt which contains four sarcophagi.  One is claimed to contain the remains of St. Pudentiana and St. Praxedes, and the other three contain remains of various other martyrs retrieved from the Catacombs of Priscilla. 


77. St. Pudentiana
The 140 Saints of the Colonnade

St. Pudentiana

Died - second century

Statue Installed - c.1702-1703

For this work Morelli received payments from 1702 until July 1703 

Sculptor - Paolo Morelli

In Morelli's career, this statue was made around the time he created statues for the church and convent of La Maddalena.

Height - 3.1 m. (10ft 4in) travertine

She is often depicted with an iconography associated with the cult of the martyrs.  Here she raises a sponge used to collect the blood of the martyrs.

Legend states that she was a Roman maiden, daughter of St Pudens and sister of St Praxedes (76).  They cared for Christians and buried their bodies during the persecutions of Marcus Antoninus.

Despite being in the Tridentine Missal and having a church dedicated to her in Rome, she was removed from the Roman Martyrology, 2001.  Her uncertain status is the result of not being listed in the earliest martyrologies.
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