Munditia

Relics of St. Munditia in the Old Peter in Munich

Munditia "Protogenia" (Latin munditia 'cleanliness', ' grace '; Greek protogenia 'firstborn', 'highborn'; * around 250 in Rome ; † on November 17, probably 310 there ) is a Christian saint . She is one of the so-called catacomb saints .

Life

Not much is known about her life; only an inscription on the marble stone in front of her former niche grave in the Roman Cyriacus catacomb , where she was buried until 1675 and where the Church of St. Lawrence Outside the Walls is today, reveals:

"DDM (PX) MUNDICIE PROTOCENIE. BENEMERENTI. QUAE VIXIT ANNOS LX. QUAE IBIT IN PACE XV CAL D. APC (PX) "

"In the pious memory of Munditia Protogenia, the well-deserved, who lived 60 years, who entered peace on the 15th day before the calendar of December APC"

The 15th day before the December calendar is November 17th, "APC" is difficult to interpret, but could be meant to indicate the time, i.e. as Andronico Probo consulibus ("when Andronicus and Probus were consuls"), which means the year 310 as the year of death of Munditias comes into question. The vial of blood found in her grave suggests an ordeal that, according to tradition, she suffered from the ax. This tradition is nourished by the interpretation of the letters "APC", which is indicated in the Roman document for the authenticity of the relic : Accordingly, "APC" stands for ascia plexa capita ("beheaded with the ax").

In 1675 the councilor and trader Franz Benedikt Höger received the remains of Munditia as a gift for the St. Peter's Church in Munich , where he also brought them in September 1677. In 1804 the display of the bones was forbidden and the relics were covered by a wooden shrine. However, since the church was renovated in 1883, the full-body relic has been open to the public again.

Munditia's feast day is November 17th, she is the patroness of single women.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c} Entry on www.orthodoxe-kirche.de
2. ↑ ^{a b} Lexicon of Saints
3. ↑ ^{a b} Munditia on the page of "Old Peter"