Anthusa of Seleucia

Venerable Anthusa of Seleucia was born in Seleucia, in Syria, and died in peace at the end of the third century, after twenty-⁠three years of ascetic labour in the wilderness. She is commemorated on 4 September, together with the martyrs Charisimus and Neophytus.

She was the daughter of noble pagans. Learning the teaching of Christ, she went, under pretext of visiting her nurse, to Bishop Athanasius of Tarsus and received Baptism from him. Her parents were angered with their daughter for becoming a Christian, and the saint, receiving monastic tonsure from Bishop Athanasius, withdrew into the wilderness, where she spent twenty-⁠three years in ascetic labours and died in peace. The martyrs Charisimus and Neophytus, baptised at the same time as Venerable Anthusa, were her servants and received death for Christ.