Irene of Thessaloniki († 310)

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Irene of Thessaloniki or Irene of Constantinople (also Hirene ; * in the 3rd century in Thessaloniki , Greece; † 310 ibid) was a martyr of early Christianity . Much is not known about the life of Irene. According to tradition, she suffered in the persecution under Emperor Licinius the martyrdom . To distinguish it from the consecrated virgin and martyr Irene , the sister of the virgins Agape and Chione , who were burned together in Thessaloniki, she is also called Irene of Constantinople.

In the 10th century Menologion of Basil II , it is recorded that Irene was the daughter of a king named Licinius, who was called Penelope at birth and who was kept by her father at the age of six in a tower guarded by thirteen servants was imprisoned. The reason for this imprisonment is the girl's beauty. Licinius surrounded the child with pagan idols, which she destroyed after her conversion to Christianity by Timothy, a disciple of St. Paul, who baptized her with the name Irene. Licinius, furious at the gesture, tied Irene to a wild horse to kill her. Irene survived and Licinius died as a result of a horse bite on the hand that came from the same horse. Irene prayed for her father who was brought back to life. This event led to a mass conversion to which the Roman governor Ampelianus responded by capturing Irenes. She was sentenced to death by beheading on May 5.

Adoration

The relics of Irenes came to Lecce in Apulia in the 13th century . The veneration of Irenes spread mainly in Constantinople , where there were later five churches consecrated to her . Her feast day is May 5th in the liturgy of the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church , she is considered the patroness of virgins and maidservants.

Saint Irene was the patron saint of Lecce until 1656. It was then replaced by Saint Oronzo, who was credited with healing the Salento people from the plague. In 1609, the Jesuit Antonio Beatillo published the story of the life and cult of Saint Irene in two volumes, which contributed to the spread of the cult of the martyr throughout the Kingdom of Naples. She is also credited with the patronage against the danger of lightning.

Saint Irene also became the patron saint of the city and the diocese of Altamura , the main patron saint of Erchie near Brindisi and, until 1904, of Fragagnano . She has been the patron saint of the city of Naples since 1719 and her silver bust is kept in the treasure of San Gennaro . She is the protector of the parishes of Trentinara, Magliano Nuovo and Massicelle and the patron saint of the parishes of Castellabate and Montano Antilia, all in the province of Salerno and in the diocese of Vallo della Lucania . In these parishes, the cult arrived in the 18th century, following the example of the capital of the Kingdom of Naples. Since these places are at higher points of view, the residents needed special protection from the danger of lightning. The famous island of Santorini in Greece takes its name from Sant'Irene.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Saint Irene Patroness of Lecce ( it ) Orthodox Church of Lecce.
  2. ↑ Heiligenlexikon-1858
  3. ↑ Chi era Sant'Irene e perchè è patrona di Altamura? Retrieved May 23, 2019 (Italian).

literature

  • Irene, S. (7) . In: Johann E. Stadler , Franz Joseph Heim, Johann N. Ginal (eds.): Complete Lexicon of Saints ... , Volume 3 ([I] K – L), B. Schmid'sche Verlagbuchhandlung (A. Manz ), Augsburg 1869, pp.  53-54 .
  • Antonio Beatillo: Historia della vita, morte, miracoli, e traslatione di Santa Irene da Tessalonica vergine, e martire, patrona della città di Lecce in terra d'Otranto, con le sue annotationi dichiaratorie . Naples 1609 (Italian, google.it ).

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Irene of Thessaloniki
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Irene of Constantinople; Hirene
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Martyr
DATE OF BIRTH 3rd century
PLACE OF BIRTH Thessaloniki , Greece
DATE OF DEATH 310
Place of death Thessaloniki , Greece