Saint Sabina

Saint Sabina was born in Avezzano in the region of Abruzzo and later lived in Rome, where she became known as a noblewoman of faith. The daughter of Herod Metallarius and the wealthy widow of Senator Valentinus, she encountered Christianity through the quiet witness of her Syrian slave, Serapia. Moved by Serapia’s example, Sabina embraced the Gospel and withdrew with a few devout companions to one of her country estates, dedicating herself to prayer and works of mercy. When Serapia was denounced and beheaded at Vindena in Umbria, Sabina reverently gathered her relics and laid them to rest in her family mausoleum, hoping to share in her friend’s burial and in her hope of resurrection. Not long after, Sabina herself was accused of being a Christian by the prefect Elpidio and suffered martyrdom in Rome around AD 126. Her memory has long been honored in both East and West, and her relics were later enshrined on the Aventine Hill in the basilica of Santa Sabina. She is invoked as patroness of Mariana Mantovana, Olot, Pattada, Sainte-Sabine, and Torre Santa Sabina. Her feast day is August 29.