ON S. EMERENTIANA, VIRGIN AND MARTYR, AT ROME.
Third century.
CommentaryEmerentiana, Virgin and Martyr at Rome (S.)
[1] Emerentiana was the foster-sister of S. Agnes, who, not yet washed in baptism, while she was pouring out prayers at the tomb of her holy companion and was reproaching the pagans for the senseless fury with which they raged against the innocent, the martyrdom of S. Emerentiana, was stoned by them and obtained the palm of martyrdom, as was narrated in the Acts of S. Agnes on 21 January, chapter 3. She is celebrated with a particular office of three Lessons on 23 January, on which day Usuard says: At Rome, the birthday of S. Emerentiana, Virgin and Martyr, her feast day, who while she was praying at the tomb of S. Agnes and at the same time defending those praying from the assault of the pagans, was stoned by them. Nearly the same is found in the Vulgate Bede, Rabanus, Ado, Notker, Bellinus, the Roman Martyrology, Maurolycus, Canisius, and Galesinius; but as to the latter's statement that she is called Emerentia by Usuard, we have not found this in any printed or manuscript copies of Usuard (and we have very many). Wandelbert, Peter de Natalis book 3, chapter 13, Ferrarius, and all who narrate the deeds of S. Agnes also treat of her. In the Irish manuscript Martyrology, as we said above, she is ascribed to 21 January.
[2] The bodies of SS. Emerentiana and Agnes, found by Paolo Emilio Sfondrato in the latter's basilica on the Via Nomentana, relics, and honorably reinterred by Pope Paul V, we described above in section 1, on the relics, no. 4. Among the relics of the Brussels palace there exists the head of S. Emerentiana, or at least a notable part of the head; for Ottavio Pancirolo states that her body is in the basilica of S. Agnes, her head in the church of S. Peter in Chains on the Esquiline, and some relics are preserved in various churches of Rome.