Saint Irene

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Saint Irene ("Holy Peace") was the sister of Saint Agape ("Holy Love") and Saint Chionia ("Snow-White"), three young girls of Thessalonica. Her Acts say that she was caught in possession of the Scriptures despite a prohibition issued by Emperor Diocletian in 303 A.D.. Following the martyrdom of her sisters, Irene was also commanded to deny the Christian faith: like them, she refused.

The provincial governor, Dulcitius, sent her to a bordello, but when she remained unmolested though exposed naked and chained, she was put to death, some accounts say by being burned to death like her sisters, others saying that she died with an arrow piercing her throat.

Irene is venerated more in the Eastern Orthodox Church than in Roman Catholicism, where she has not made the canon and doesn't rate an entry in the Catholic Encyclopedia.

The purported hand of St Irene is currently preserved at St. Irene Chrysovalantou Greek Orthodox Church in Astoria, Queens, New York City.

Irene is the namesake of the Greek island of Santorini.

[edit] Other saints

Other saints named Irene and their feast days, according to www.oca.org:

Martyr Irene April 3
New Martyr Irene of Lesbos April 9

The New Martyrs of Lesbos, Sts Raphael, Nicholas and Irene were martyred by the Turks on Bright Tuesday (April 9, 1463)

Virginmartyr Irene in Thessalonica April 16

The Holy Martyrs Agape, Irene, and Chione were sisters who lived at the end of the third century to the beginning of the fourth century.

Martyr Irene of Corinth and companions April 16

The Holy Martyr Leonidas and the Holy Martyrs Charissa, Nike, Galina, Kalisa (Kalida), Nunekhia, Basilissa, and Theodora suffered at Corinth in the year 258.

Greatmartyr Irene of Thessalonica May 5

The holy Great Martyr Irene was born in the city of Magedon in Persia during the fourth century. She was the daughter of the pagan king Licinius.

St Irene with her husband St George and children of Constantinople May 13
Martyr Irene of Egypt June 5

The women martyrs Irene and Selenia were natives of Egypt and suffered during the reign of Maximian (305-311) along with Sts Marcian, Nicander, Hyperechius, Apollonius, Leonidas, Arius, Gorgias, and Pambo.

St Irene Chrysovolantou July 28

Saint Irene was the daughter of a wealthy family from Cappadocia, and was born in the ninth century. She gave her wealth to the poor and became a nun.