Virgin-Martyrs Sts
Agape, Irene and Chione (304 AD)
Memory Celebrated April 16
Virgin-Martyrs Sts. Agape, Irene and Chione were young
women from Saloniki. During Maximian's persecution they left
their homes and went to live on a nearby mountain to follow
lives of prayer, where they were arrested under Diocletian
in late 303. When they were brought before the magistrate,
they refused to eat sacrificial food and stated that they
would prefer to die than do so. Agape and Chione, the older
two, were sentenced to be burnt alive. Irene, because of her
youth, was sentenced to imprisonment. After the death of the
other two, Irene was again cross-examined and admitted that
she possessed books of the Scriptures and refused once again
to eat sacrificial food. She was sentenced to be sent naked
into the soldiers' brothel, however , no man dared to
approach her. She too was eventually burnt alive. This was
recorded in her Acts as 1 April, but the feast of the three
Virgin-Martyrs together is 16 April.
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