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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