Catholic Saints

St. Tatiana was a Christian martyr in the 3^rd century, in Rome during the reign of Emperor Alexander Severus.  According to legend, she was the daughter of a Roman civil servant who was secretly Christian.  He raised his daughter in the faith, and she became prominent in helping the early Church.  This was dangerous in her time, and one day the jurist Ulpian, captured Tatiana and attempted to force her to make a sacrifice to Apollo.  She prayed, and miraculously an earthquake destroyed the Apollo statue and part of the temple.  

Tatiana was then blinded, and beaten for two days, before being brought to a circus and thrown into the pit with a hungry lion.  But the lion did not touch her, and instead, lay at her feet.  This resulted in a death sentence being pronounced and after being tortured, Tatiana was beheaded with a sword on January 12 in 230, by the best of records.  

St. Tatiana is venerated as a saint from the early days of the Church, and her feast day is on January 12^th.  The miracles performed by St. Tatiana are said to have converted thousands upon thousands, and many converted to the faith immediately.  She is the patron saint of students.  

Practical Take Away

St. Tatiana was a saint martyred for the Faith in the early Church.  Most of her life is known by the Martyrology, and information handed down through the generations.  She was the daughter of a civil servant, who raised her in the faith.  She was caught, and they attempted to kill her on two occasions, and after praying she was spared.  They were so angry they sentenced her to be beheaded.  Her death spurred many conversions to the faith.  Her life is a powerful witness to us, from our early Church.