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184 184 ST. RESTITUTA of St. Antonio de Alcacor do Sal, in Portugal. AA^S., Prseter. St. Restituta (l), May 17, V. M. 3rd century. In the time of the Em- peror Valerian (253-260), Eestitnta, after undergoing many tortures, was condemned, in Africa, by Proculus, to be set adrift in a boat with a quantity of burning pitch and tow; the flames turned upon those who kindled them, and Restituta gave up her soul to God ; the boat floated to the island of Ischia and was received by the Christians with great veneration. Afterwards Gonstan- tine the Great had a dream about this martyr, and on investigation found her sacred body shining like snow. He built a church in Naples in honour of her. B.M. AA,SS. St. Restituta (2), May 27, + c 272, time of Aurelian. Patron of Sora in Campania (with St. Julian, M., and St. Dominic, abbot), and of Pont Axcy, near Soissons. Daughter of Ethel and Dabia who lived in the part of Rome now called Trastevere. Restituta was young, beau- tiful, rich and nobly born. During the persecution, she made a vow of virginity. Desiring to serve Christ, and praying for direction, it was revealed to her that she must go to Sora and deliver His people from the tyranny under which they groaned and that she must not be deterred by any misgiving on account of her age and sex. She prayed again, " Lord, I have hardly ever gone out of the house for fear of meeting evil com- panions, or coming to harm; how then can I go to a city of which I do not even know in what part of the world it is situated ? " The Lord answered, '' Early to-morrow, go to the Lateran gate, and there thou shalt find a guide sent by Me." There she met an angel, and when she had explained her mission, he told her it was a long journey, forty miles, and she had better sleep and rest before setting out; she did so, and he transported her during her sleep to the outside of the gate of Sora, where she found herself when she awoke. She entered the city and went to the house of a widow whose son Cyril was afflicted with leprosy. She cured him and converted him, his mother, and forty others. Crowds came to see him, and he preached Christianity to them. Agathius, the proconsul, heard that Cyril was neglecting the gods for the new religion, sent for him, and asked an account of his conversion. Then he said, « Where is Restituta ? " Cyril said, "She lodges with us." "Bring her here," said Agathius. She came, and when he saw a beautiful young lady, he spoke civilly to her : " It appears that you do not know that the honour you give to Christ is an insult to the emperor, but as you seem to be very young, I will treat your ignor- ance with indulgence. Give up your superstitions, offer incense to our gods, and I will marry you ; and as you seem to be very poor, you shall immedi- ately be made rich." Restituta answered, " Tou propose to me three things ; one of which I abhor as impious, and the others I condemn as frivolous: to re- nounce the King of Kings and Lord of Lords for a mortal king; to renounce an immortal Husband for thee, who art in bondage to an earthly lord and wilt soon be food for worms; and as for wealth, I utterly despise it ! " Agathius was very angry and ordered her to be scourged. Under this torture, she sang hymns. She was next bound with seven iron chains, then kept seven days with- out food, all the time miraculously sus- tained. She converted thirty-nine gaolers, who were all baptized and then, with Restituta, brought up for judgment be- fore Agathius, when the guards and other attendants were converted also. Restituta and her convert Cyril were beheaded with two others, and their bodies ordered to be left for the beasts and birds of prey; but the Christians took them and buried them reverently. The heads were not with the bodies, but Restituta appeared in glory, seven days afterwards, to the venerable Amasius, bishop of Sora, and told him where they were to be found. After the death of Aurelian, the Church had peace. Amasius built a church over the bodies of these martyrs. In the 9th century, the bodies were taken to Rome for lear of the Saracens ; that of Restituta was given by Pope