Lucilla

Holy Martyr Lucilla was the daughter of the military tribune Nemesius and suffered in the year 257, in the time of the persecution of the emperor Valerian, together with her father. The Azbyka page has no life of her of her own, but mentions her in the account of the martyrdom of Pope Stephen of Rome.

Holy Hieromartyr Stephen held the throne of Rome from 253 to 257 and struggled zealously against the heresy of Novatus, who taught that those who returned from heresy should not be received. In time of persecution he went into hiding, but baptized many pagans, among them the tribune Nemesius, who turned to Christ after the bishop healed his daughter Lucilla. Nemesius was ordained a deacon, and he and his daughter were beheaded with the sword.

Others suffered then as well. Nemesius' steward Symphronius was taken by the tribune Olympius to the temple of Mars to be tortured, but by his prayer the golden idol melted; Olympius, his wife Exuperia and their son Theodolus believed and were baptized, and all were burned. Their remains were buried by Saint Stephen. The pope's clerics were also beheaded: Bonus, Faustus, Maurus, Primitivus, Calumniosus, John, Exuperantius, Cyril, Theodore, Basil, Castellus, Honoratus and Tertullinus, who had been converted by Stephen.

At the end Stephen was brought before Valerian, who condemned him to be beheaded in the temple of Mars. As he stood there, by his prayers most of the temple collapsed and the soldiers fled. The saint hid in the catacombs, in the cemetery of Saint Lucina, where he was killed by the soldiers who came for him while he was teaching the Christians.

The Church commemorates him on 15 August, in the new style. The name of Lucilla is not in today's Menologion of the Russian Church.