Candida the Elder

Saint Candida the Elder is a saint of the early Christian centuries, a resident of Naples in Italy, whom the city counts among its patrons. Her feast is on 4 September, and her memory has been kept mostly through tradition.

According to the legend, Candida was an elderly woman who welcomed the holy Apostle Peter with hospitality when he was passing through Naples on his way to Rome. She was ill and was healed by the apostle. Once cured, she believed in Christ and received holy Baptism from Saint Peter himself.

Tradition adds that Candida brought Aspren, who was to become the first bishop of Naples, to the Christian faith. In this way she stands at the beginnings of the Church in the city.

Scholars, however, hold that little is known of her life, and some doubt that she existed at all. For this reason her name was removed from the revised Roman Martyrology. Both the Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church have nevertheless honoured her as a saint, and in Naples she remains one of the patron saints of the city.