Leonilla of Langres

Holy Martyr Leonilla of Langres, also called Neonilla, was the grandmother of the martyrs Speusippus, Eleusippus and Meleusippus and suffered with them, with Neon, Turbo and Jovilla, in Gaul (according to another account, in Cappadocia), in the second century, in the persecution of Marcus Aurelius (161-180). The Azbyka page tells their story together.

Leonilla received Baptism in extreme old age from a disciple of Saint Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna, and then turned her three grandsons to Christ. The brothers, inflamed with zeal for the Lord, shattered the idols and rebuked the pagans for their folly. The tormentors brought Leonilla to the place of execution and commanded her to persuade her grandsons to renounce Christ, but she, going up to them, praised them for their courage and firm confession of their faith. The martyrs were thrown into the fire, which did them no harm. After the torments and death of her grandsons, Saint Leonilla was beheaded.

With her suffered Saint Jovilla, who saw the unshakable faith of the holy martyrs and confessed herself a Christian, leaving her husband and little son. The tormentors hung her by her hair, wounded her body and beheaded her. Saint Neon saw the struggle of the holy brothers and, writing down their sufferings, gave the manuscript to Turbo, and himself openly confessed Christ and was cruelly beaten and died of the beatings. Saint Turbo, following the sufferers, ended his life also as a martyr. These martyrs are especially venerated in Spain, where many churches are dedicated to them. Their relics were given by the Greek emperor Zeno to France, to the city of Langres.

Saint Leonilla is commemorated on 29 January, in the new style. Their passion is also found in the Lives of the Saints by Saint Dimitry of Rostov.