Irene of Aquileia

Holy Martyr Irene of Aquileia suffered in the year 304, in the time of the Emperor Diocletian, together with her sisters Agape and Chionia. The Church commemorates her on 29 April (new style).

The three sisters

The three sisters lived at the end of the third century and the beginning of the fourth, near the Italian city of Aquileia. They were orphaned in youth, led a devout Christian life and rejected the proposals of many suitors. Their spiritual father was the priest Zeno. It was revealed to him in a vision that he would soon die and that the virgins would be taken to torment. A similar revelation was given to the Great Martyr Anastasia († 304), called the Deliverer from Potions, who was then in Aquileia, visiting Christians in the prisons without fear, encouraging them and helping them. Saint Anastasia hurried to the sisters and urged them to stand manfully for Christ. Soon what had been foretold came to pass: the priest Zeno died, and the three virgins were seized and sent to be judged by the Emperor Diocletian (284-305).

Seeing the young sisters beautiful, the emperor proposed that they renounce Christ and promised them noble suitors from his retinue. But the sisters answered that they had one heavenly Bridegroom, Christ, for faith in whom they were ready to suffer. Neither the elder ones nor the youngest let themselves be persuaded. They called the pagan gods idols made by human hands and preached faith in the true God.

Martyrdom

At the command of Diocletian, who was setting out for Macedonia, the sisters were taken there and given to the governor Dulcitius to be judged. Seeing the beauty of the holy martyrs, he was kindled with unclean passion. He placed them under guard and let them understand that they would be free if they would fulfil his desire. But the saints answered that they were ready to die for their heavenly Bridegroom. Then Dulcitius resolved to take them secretly by force at night. When the sisters rose in the night to pray and glorify the Lord, Dulcitius crept to the door and wished to enter. An unseen power struck him, he lost his mind and ran off. Not finding the way out, he stumbled into the kitchen, where there were pots, pans and cauldrons, and smeared himself all over with soot. The servants and soldiers hardly recognized him. When he saw himself in a mirror, he thought the martyrs had bewitched him and resolved to take revenge.

At the trial Dulcitius ordered the holy martyrs stripped, but the soldiers, however hard they tried, could not do it: the garments seemed to have grown to the bodies of the virgins. During the trial Dulcitius suddenly fell asleep and no one could wake him. As soon as he was carried into the house, he woke. When all this was reported to the Emperor Diocletian, he was angry at Dulcitius and gave the virgins to the judge Sisinnius. He began with the youngest sister, Irene, and seeing her unyielding, sent her to prison and tried to force Chionia and Agape to renounce. But they too could not be swayed, and Sisinnius ordered them burned. Hearing the sentence, the sisters thanked the Lord for the crowns of martyrdom. In the fire Agape and Chionia went to the Lord in prayer.

When the fire died down, all saw that the bodies of the martyrs and their clothes were not burned, and their faces were fair and calm, like those of people asleep in a gentle slumber. The next day Sisinnius ordered Saint Irene brought to trial. He frightened her with the fate of her elder sisters, urged her to renounce Christ, then threatened to give her over to shame in a brothel. The holy martyr answered that her body might be given to violent shame, but her soul would not be defiled by renouncing Christ. As Sisinnius's soldiers were leading Saint Irene to the brothel, two shining soldiers overtook them and told them that their lord Sisinnius commanded them to take the maiden to a high mountain and leave her there, then return to him with the news that the order was fulfilled. The soldiers did so. When they reported to Sisinnius, he was furious, for he had given no such order. The shining soldiers were angels of God, who had saved the holy martyr from shame.

Sisinnius set out with a band toward the mountain and saw Irene on the summit. He looked long for the road to the top but could not find it. Then one of the soldiers wounded Saint Irene with an arrow. The martyr cried out to Sisinnius that she laughed at his powerless fury and that she was departing pure and undefiled to her Lord Jesus Christ. Giving thanks to the Lord, she lay down on the ground and gave her spirit to God on the eve of Holy Pascha, in the year 304. The Great Martyr Anastasia learned of the death of the sisters and buried their bodies with honour.