St. Anysia
Feast Day: December 30
Born:(around 270) :: Died:(around 304)
Anysia was born in Salonika, Thessalonica in Greece. Thessalonica was an ancient city to which St. Paul himself had first brought the faith of Jesus.
Anysia was a Christian and she came from a rich but pious family. After her parents' death, Anysia took private vows of poverty and chastity and used her wealth to help the poor.
In those days, Christians in Thessalonica were treated very cruelly. The governor was a hard man who wanted to stop all Christians from meeting together for Mass.
But Anysia quietly slipped out one day to try and go to a Christian servoce. As she passed a gate called Cassandra, a guard saw her. Stepping out in front of her, he demanded to know where she was going.
Frightened, Anysia stepped backwards, tracing a cross on her forehead. Immediately the soldier grabbed her and shook her roughly. "Who are you" he shouted. "And where are you going?" Anysia took a deep breath and replied, "I am a servant of Jesus Christ, and I am going to the Lord's assembly."
"Oh yes?" sneered the guard. "I will stop that. I will take you to sacrifice to the sun god. Saying this, he snatched off her veil. Anysia struggled and spat in his face.
Finally, in great anger, he drew his sword and stabbed her with it. The saint fell dead at his feet. When the harassment ended, the Christians of Thessalonica built a church over the spot where St. Anysia had given her life for Christ. Anysia died around 304.