Neonila

Holy Martyr Neonila was the grandmother of the three martyr brothers Speusippus, Eleusippus and Meleusippus (Pevsip, Elasip and Mesip), of the region of Lingonia in Gaul (present-⁠day Langres), and she died beheaded together with them, in the time of the emperor Marcus Aurelius (161-180).

Saint Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna and a disciple of Saint John the Evangelist, sent to Gaul, where the persecution was heavier, the priests Antiochus and Benignus and the deacon Tyrsus. Arriving at Edua, they were hosted by the senator Faustus, a secret Christian, whose son Symphorian was baptized by Benignus. Faustus told them about his sister, Neonila, in Lingonia, who wished to bring to Christ her three pagan grandsons, born at one birth. Benignus went to her and Neonila received him with honour. The grandsons, returning from a village where they had sacrificed to the goddess Nemesis, brought the remains of the sacrifice to the old woman, who in disgust threw them to the dogs. Benignus spoke with her about the Creator of the world and the futility of idols, and the young men, who had had visions that night, asked him to instruct them. Benignus baptized them. Then he returned to Lingonia and shortly afterwards received the crown of martyrdom.

The three brothers sent their servants to smash the idol of Nemesis, then twelve other idols in their house. The news reached the authorities, and the judges Palmatus, Quadratus and Hermogenes summoned the young men. When they confessed Christ unshakably, the judges summoned Neonila to ask her to turn them back. She promised to go, but seeing them unshaken in their confession she kissed them with joy and strengthened them, telling them they had found the most precious treasure. The brothers were bound to a beam and stretched until their bones came apart, then thrown into a fire, but they remained unharmed and walked through the flames blessing God, like the three young men in Babylon. In the end they gave up their souls in prayer, seeing hosts of angels. Their bodies were buried in the village of Urvat, two stadia from the city, where a church was built.

After their martyrdom a woman named Jovilla cried out in the middle of the crowd that she was Christ's servant, and was taken to Urvat together with Saint Neonila, where both were beheaded. A man named Neon, who had watched the saints' struggle and written down their passion, also confessed Christ and died a martyr from the beatings. These things happened on 16 January. The Greek Synaxarion says that the brothers were Cappadocians, that Neonila was their grandmother, and that all were burned. The Saint is commemorated on 16 January, according to the new calendar.