Restituta

Saint Restituta was born in North Africa, likely at Carthage or at Teniza in present-day Tunisia. A Berber Christian, she lived in an age when fidelity to Christ could demand the ultimate sacrifice. Tradition remembers her as a martyr, probably during the persecution under Emperor Diocletian, though the precise place and date of her death are uncertain; she is sometimes linked with the Martyrs of Abitinae, who suffered for refusing to abandon the Eucharist and the Lord’s Day. A beloved medieval legend tells that after cruel tortures she was set adrift in a burning boat, yet remained unharmed until, commending herself to God, she was guided by an angel across the sea to the island of Ischia. There, her body was discovered and honored by local Christians, and devotion to her spread widely in Italy, especially through Naples. Saint Restituta is venerated as patroness of Lacco Ameno and Oricola. Her feast day is May 17.