Charitina of Amisus

Saint Charitina of Amisus, Martyr, was a virgin of Asia Minor, known for fasting, prayer and chastity, who brought many to the faith and was killed in the persecution of Diocletian, in the year 304. She is remembered on 5 October.

Childhood and life of struggle

She was born at Amisus in Pontus around 287. Orphaned young, she was taken in by a noble and wealthy Christian man named Claudius, who brought her up as his own daughter. She was beautiful, sensible and kind. She was meek, humble, obedient and silent, and although not yet baptized she was a Christian at heart. She studied the law of God and vowed to live in perpetual virginity as a bride of Christ. Claudius rejoiced at this resolve and built her a solitary house, where she lived day and night studying the law of God. The faithful came to see her, and she taught them toward salvation, while she led unbelievers to the true faith, preaching Christ to them. By her example she converted many.

Martyrdom

In the time of the emperor Diocletian the governor Dometius (Domitian in some sources) heard of her and sent soldiers to take her from Claudius for trial. Claudius put on sackcloth and wept for her, but, unable to part from her, held her in his arms for a while as the soldiers pulled. Saint Charitina told him: “Let me go, my master, and do not grieve, but rejoice, for I shall be an acceptable sacrifice to God for my sins and yours.” The judge asked her: “Is it true, little girl, that you are a Christian, and that you delude others by bringing them to this dishonourable faith?” Charitina courageously replied: “It is true that I am a Christian, and a lie that I delude others. I lead those in error to the way of truth, bringing them to my Christ.”

The judge ordered her hair cut off and live coals put on her head, but God's power preserved her. She was anointed with vinegar mixed with gall and burned on the ribs with lit candles, then thrown into the sea with a stone round her neck, but she climbed out saying: “This is my baptism,” and God delivered her. She was bound to a wheel, which began to turn, but an angel of God stopped the wheel and Charitina remained unharmed. Seeing that he could not break her, the judge sent some dissolute youths to defile her. Saint Charitina, fearing this dishonour, prayed to God to receive her soul before the wicked men could lay hands on her, and while she was kneeling in prayer her soul left her body. She died a martyr's death in the year 304. The Roman Martyrology states that her martyrdom took place at Corycus in Cilicia Trachaea.

Veneration

Her body was put in a sack of sand and thrown into the sea, but after three days the waves carried it to the shore, and Claudius found it and buried it with all Christian rites. Parts of her holy relics are in the monasteries of Kykkos in Cyprus and of Jerusalem in Boeotia. She is shown with an angel extinguishing a funeral pyre. Her kontakion says: “Thou didst arm thy soul with faith and knowledge and put the enemy to open shame. Thou didst stand before Christ in a robe dyed with thy blood and art now rejoicing with the Angels. Pray for us, Martyr Charitina.”