Thecla of Salerno

Holy Venerable Martyr Thecla of Salerno, a virgin, suffered together with the holy Archelais and Susanna. They were saved in a small monastery near Rome. In the persecution of Diocletian (284 to 305), the holy virgins put on men's clothing, cut their hair and withdrew to the Italian province of Campania. Settling in a remote place, they continued to struggle in fasting and prayer. Receiving from God the gift of healing, they healed the local people and brought many pagans to Christ.

Learning of them, the governor of the region, Leontius, ordered them brought to the city of Salerno. He threatened Saint Archelais that he would hand her over to dishonour and death if she did not sacrifice to idols. With firm hope in God's help, the saint refused to obey and rebuked the folly of those who bow to lifeless idols. Then the governor ordered her given to hungry lions to be torn, but the beasts lay down obediently at her feet. Enraged, he ordered the lions killed and the virgins shut in prison.

The next morning the torturers hung her up and began to scrape her sides with iron tools and pour hot pitch on the wounds. The saint prayed aloud, and suddenly a radiance appeared above her and a voice was heard: "Do not be afraid, I am with you." The power of God protected her: when they wished to crush her with an enormous stone, an angel pushed the stone aside and it crushed the torturers. The judge ordered the soldiers to behead the virgins, but the soldiers did not dare to raise a hand against the saints. Then Archelais, Thecla and Susanna said to the soldiers, "If you do not carry out the order, you will not share honour with us." The holy martyrs were beheaded, in the year 293. Thecla is commemorated on 19 June (new style). Their story was also written down by Saint Demetrius of Rostov.