Ninfa (saint)

Statue of Saint Ninfa in Palermo Cathedral

Ninfa or Nympha (* in the 3rd century ; † November 10, beginning of the 4th century) is a saint of the Catholic Church and a patron saint of Palermo .

According to a manuscript from the 12th century, Ninfa was the daughter of Aureliano, under Constantine the Great Prefect of Palermo. Converted to Christianity by Mamiliano, the bishop of Palermo around 310 and baptized by him together with 20 Christians, the prefect tried in vain to win back his daughter for the pagan cults. Aureliano then threw Mamiliano into dungeon together with 200 Christians and had them tortured. This did not change Ninfa's attitude either, so that her father also threw her into prison.

According to legend, she and Mamiliano were saved by an angel who took them across the sea to the island of Giglio , where they spent the time as hermits in prayer and fasting. Her desire to pray at the tombs of Peter and Paul first led her to a small town called Bucina, where Mamiliano died shortly after visiting Rome . A year later on November 10th, she too died of starvation and deprivation and was buried in the crypt of the church in Bucina.

During a period of drought, the farmers prayed to Ninfa and the longed-for rain set in. From then on, Ninfa was venerated as a saint. Other sources say that Ninfa lived in the 5th century and was exposed to the persecution of the Arians together with Saint Mamiliano .

In official Vatican documents from the time of Pope Leo IV , a martyr Ninfa appears in connection with the city of Portuense. In 1113 their relics were brought to the Roman churches of San Trifone a Piazza Fiammetta, San Crisogono (1123) and in 1116 the Cathedral of Palestrina. Her head had been in the Roman church of Santa Maria in Monticelli since 1098. On September 5, 1593 the head relic came to Palermo, where it was ceremoniously placed on the altar of the cathedral . Along with Rosalia , Cristina , Agata and Oliva, Santa Ninfa became one of the city saints of Palermo. In 1601 work began on the church of Santa Ninfa dei Crociferi in Palermo , which was completed in 1660. In the province of Trapani there is a town called Santa Ninfa . Her feast day is November 10th.

literature

• Matthew Bunson, Margaret Bunson, and Stephen Bunson: Our Sunday Visitor's, Encyclopedia of Saints (2003), ISBN 978-1931709750 .
• Ecumenical Lexicon of Saints , article “Nympha”

Web links

• Santa Ninfa Martire (Italian)
• Chiesa di Santa Ninfa ai crociferi (Italian)