Saint Afra
Saint Afra, by the Master of Messkirch, ca. 1535-1540
Born	, Augsburg
Died	~304 AD
Venerated in	Roman Catholic Church
Major shrine	St. Ulrich's and St. Afra's Abbey, Augsburg
Feast	August 5 (sometimes listed as August 6, August 7)
Attributes	depicted being burnt to death
Patronage	Augsburg; converts; martyrs; penitent women
Saints Portal

Saint Afra (died 304) was a Christian martyr. The Roman Catholic Church or Catholic Church (see terminology below) is the Christian Church in full communion with the Bishop of Rome, currently Pope Benedict XVI. It traces its origins to the original Christian community founded by Jesus Christ and led by the Twelve Apostles, in particular Saint Peter. ... Eastern Orthodox shrine Buddhist shrine just outside Wat Phnom. ... The abbey of Saint Ulrich and Saint Afra, Augsburg St. ... The calendar of saints is a traditional Christian method of organising a liturgical year on the level of days by associating each day with one or more saints, and referring to the day as that saints day. ... August 5 is the 217th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (218th in leap years), with 148 days remaining. ... Saint symbology was important to people who couldnt read because they can figure out what symbols mean. ... Saint Quentin is the patron saint of locksmiths and is also invoked against coughs and sneezes. ... Augsburg is a city in south-central Germany. ... Image File history File links Gloriole. ... For other uses, see 304 (disambiguation). ... Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

Biography

Although many different accounts of her life exist, the most widely known is that of an unreliable Carlovingian version, the Acts of St Afra, set down many centuries later. According to this source, she was originally a courtesan in Augsburg, having come there from Cyprus, maybe even as the daughter of the King of Cyprus. She possibly ran a brothel in that town, or worked as a prostitute in the Temple of Venus. As the persecution of Christians during the reign of Eastern Roman Emperor Diocletian began, Bishop Narcissus of Gerona (in Spain) arrived there and lodged with Afra and her mother, Hilaria. The bishop did not know their profession, but soon converted them. She continued to hide the bishop from the authorities, but was arrested, and condemned to be burnt to death. Her mother and her maids Ligna, Eunonia and Eutropia later suffered the same fate, for interring her in a burial vault. The Carolingians (also known as the Carlovingians) were a dynasty of rulers that eventually controlled the Frankish realm and its successors from the 8th to the 10th century, officially taking over the kingdoms from the Merovingian dynasty in 751. ... A courtesan in mid-16th century usage was a high-class prostitute or mistress, especially one associated with rich, powerful, or upper-class men who provided luxuries and status in exchange for her services. ... Augsburg is a city in south-central Germany. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Prostitution is the sale of sexual services (typically manual stimulation, oral sex, sexual intercourse, or anal sex) for cash or other kind of return, generally indiscriminately with many persons. ... Temple of Hephaestus, an Doric Greek temple in Athens with the original entrance facing east, 449 BC (western face depicted) For other uses, see Temple (disambiguation). ... Marble Venus of the Capitoline Venus type, Roman (British Museum) Venus was a major Roman goddess principally associated with love and beauty, the rough equivalent of the Greek goddess Aphrodite. ... Look up Persecution in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This is a list of Byzantine Emperors. ... Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus ( 245– 312), born Diocles (Greek Διοκλής) and known in English as Diocletian,[1] was Roman Emperor from November 20, 284 to May 1, 305. ... This article is about a title or office in religious bodies. ... Girona (Catalan: Girona, Spanish: Gerona, French: Gérone) is a city located in the northwest of Catalonia, Spain on the confluence of the rivers Ter and Onyar. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Religious conversion is the adoption of new religious beliefs that differ from the converts previous beliefs; in some cultures (e. ... In politics, authority generally refers to the ability to make laws, independent of the power to enforce them, or the ability to permit something. ... The Chicago Police Department arrests a man An arrest is the action of the police, or person acting under the law, to take a person into custody so that they may be forthcoming to answer for the commission of a crime. ... In law, a sentence forms the final act of a judge-ruled process, and also the symbolic principal act connected to his function. ... Immolation means a sacrificial killing by burning, such as: Animal sacrifice Human sacrifice Sati is a Hindu funeral custom involving immolation. ... Football Club Internazionale Milano (commonly, but incorrectly, known as Inter Milan) is an Italian football club, playing in the Serie A (first division). ... A burial vault is a sturdy box designed to protect the coffin inside of it. ...

In an alternative, and earlier document, it is stated that she was beheaded, rather than burnt. The Martyrologium Hieronymianum (a compilation of martyrs) mentions Afra as having "suffered in the city of Augsburg" and as being "buried there". The so-called Martyrologium Hieronymianum, the martyrology of Jerome, was the most widely used and influential of the medieval lists of martyrs. ...

Sainthood

The feast of Saint Afra occurs on 5 August (although according to some missals it is on 6 August or 7 August). To this day, her remains are kept in St. Ulrich's and St. Afra's Abbey, Augsburg, having first been displayed there in 1012. August 5 is the 217th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (218th in leap years), with 148 days remaining. ... Missal, in the Roman Catholic Church, is a liturgical book containing all instructions and texts necessary for the celebration of Masses throughout the year. ... August 6 is the 218th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (219th in leap years), with 147 days remaining. ... August 7 is the 219th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (220th in leap years), with 146 days remaining. ... The abbey of Saint Ulrich and Saint Afra, Augsburg St. ... Mael Morda starts a rebellion against Brian Boru in Ireland, which would eventually end in 1014 at the Battle of Clontarf. ...

Her cult was widespread in Bavaria, and the town of Täferrot takes its name from her.[1]

External links

• Catholic Encyclopedia
• Shorter Biography
• Short Fact List

This article incorporates text from the public-domain Catholic Encyclopedia of 1913.