Anastasia, Saint (d. 304)
Anastasia, Saint (d. 304)
Christian saint. Name variations: Anastasia of Sirmium.
A Roman of noble birth, Anastasia suffered martyrdom during the persecution of Christians in Sirmium (modern-day Yugoslavia) under the Roman emperor Diocletian. Her mother was a Christian; her father a pagan. When her mother died, her father demanded that she marry a pagan. Her new husband, learning belatedly that she was a Christian, treated her cruelly and squandered her property until his death a few years later. Free of him, Anastasia devoted herself to secret works of charity, using what remained of her fortune to relieve the Christian poor, many of whom were in prison. After her works caused suspicion, she and three female servants were arrested and ordered to sacrifice to idols. When they refused, the servants were immediately executed, and Anastasia was banished for a time. She was then brought back to Rome and burned alive. In the Orthodox Church, her feast is celebrated on December 22; in the Roman Catholic Church, she is the only saint to be celebrated on a major feast day, receiving a special commemoration in the second Mass of Christmas Day.