St. Christina
July 24

St. Christina was the daughter of a pagan who kept her virtually captive to prevent her from hearing the name of the Lord. St. Christina lived with her father, Urbanus, who was a camp follower of the army of Emperor Severus in about 200 A.D., as they kept entire cities at their mercy. Urbanus was a war-profiteer who engaged in bargains with commanders, selling captured citizens into slavery and holding hostages for ransom.

In order to keep Christina from hearing the name of Christ, or encountering any Christians, Urbanus built a tall tower that allowed her to move around freely within, but restricted her ability to interact with outsiders. Her servants were carefully selected non-believers who would tend to her needs without preaching about Christ. She was allowed no visitors. Despite all her father's attempts, Christina had the notion that she was missing something. She pondered the stars and nature, wondering how it all came to be. So great was her longing that an angel of the Lord appeared to her and she came to know Jesus Christ. Her father was then killed during battle and Christina was free, casting off all riches and dedicating her life to teaching about Christ, winning many converts. Soon she found herself imprisoned for preaching, suffering many tortures with the name of God on her lips. When she continued to speak after having her tongue cut out, the ruler Dion had her put to death. St. Christina died, a martyr for Christ, on July 24, 234, and lies in a chapel built in her memory by her Christian uncle, in the ancient Phoenician city called Tyre, now called Sur, in modern Lebanon..

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