Segolena of Albi

Saint Segolena (Sigolena) of Albi was a deaconess and founder of a convent in what is now southern France, in the seventh or early eighth century. The Church commemorates her on 24 July.

She was born into a noble family of Aquitaine. At the age of twelve she was married to Gislulf, and on that occasion she offered her husband all her possessions in order to gain the freedom of her body. Her husband granted her wish to live in a chaste marriage like that of Joseph, and supported her piety and charity. After ten years of marriage her husband died unexpectedly. At the age of twenty-⁠four she had difficulty convincing her parents that she did not wish to marry again. One source says that she was widowed at twenty-⁠two and gave her life to the service of the poor and to prayer.

After she was consecrated deaconess by the bishop of the city, she eventually persuaded her father to build her a convent on his own land. She founded the monastery of Troclar at Lagrave (Tarn) and was its first abbess. She is often depicted holding a bishop's staff in her left hand.

During her life on earth she is credited with cleansing two lepers, healing three blind people, among them a priest, and at least nine exorcisms. At her death, when the nuns removed her garments to wash her body, they reported that a wonderful fragrance suddenly spread through the place. She was first buried at Insula. Her relics are in Albi Cathedral. Her church in Metz stood near that of Saint Ferreolus of Besançon. Her life was written by an anonymous author.