Saint Vassa of Edessa

St. Vassa was born in Edessa and lived during the reign of Emperor Maximian. She married a man named Valerian, who was a priest of idols, and gave birth to three sons, Theognios, Agapios and Pistos. Due to her Christian faith, Vassa suffered at the hands of her pagan husband, who hauled her and her three sons before the Proconsul Vicarius. After she confessed that she was a Christian, he cast her and her two children into prison. Theognios was suspended aloft and his flesh was cruelly lacerated in his chest. They also tore out his nails. Agapios flesh was flayed from his head to his chest. Pistos bones and joints were broken by the executioners. They beheaded the three sons of Vassa. When Vicarius went to Macedonia he ordered Vassa be taken with him. He ordered her to sacrifice to the idols, but she refused. They tried to drown her, to burn her and to stone her, but she remained uninjured. Then she was taken to the pagan temple by Vicarius, where she smashed to pieces the idol of Zeus. Vicarius cast her to the animals as prey, but she remained unharmed. Then the pagans cast her into the sea to drown her. But she was borne aloft by her three sons who deposit her upon a ship. Within 8 days Vassa arrived on the island of Alonos, near Hellespont. The Consul of Kyzikos arrested her and tried to persuade her to sacrifice to the idols. When she refused he had her hands tied behind her back and her limbs crushed and bruised. She was then beheaded. Her feast day is on August 21.