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234 234 ST. SUSANNA considers the. story insufficiently estab- lished and the relics spurious. St. Susanna (2), Zenais. St Susanna (3), Feb. 12, M. in Italy, with others. AA,S8. SS. Susanna (4, 5), April 12, MM. in different parts of Spain. AA.SS, St Susanna (6). (See Abcjhelaa.) St Susanna (7), I'eb. 9, V. M. 3rd century. Sister of St. Victor. They were of humble station, and lived at Mosomagum, now called IJlly or Evilly. Susanna's beauty made her the object of the persecutions of the prince of the country, who finding his suit vain, and Victor as insensible to his promises and entreaties as the maiden herself, ceased to love Susanna and sought only to revenge the insult of which he considered her guilty in refusing him. He ordered some of his servants to lie in wait for her and to seize her and put out her eyes : which they did. Victor boldly re- proached the prince for his wickedness, and was in consequence murdered as he entered the church, by the same ruffians who had blinded his sister. He was buried near the wall of St. Peter's church, and lay hidden for many years, until the time of Hincmar, abbot of Eheims, about 800, when part of the wall fell down. In order to repair the damage, the debris had to be cleared away, and while this was being done, a body was found buried near the foundation of the wall, and the workmen thought the building could not be made secure without removing it. It was taken up and reverently placed in a tomb within the church. At that time a woman in the town had been blind for three months, suffering much pain in her eyes. The parish priest was told in a dream that she coiUd be cured by the prayers of the saint whose body had just been found. He brought her to the church, and she prayed beside the body and her sight was restored. After this, Victor appeared in dreams to sundry ecclesiastics and told them his story. His sister's name is unknown but she was called Susanna by the people of Kvilly, when the bodies were found and the story made known. A A ,SS, St Susanna (8), Aug. 1 1. + c. 2i»:». Patron of Bome. Bepresented with a crown at her feet and holding a palm. Niece of St. Caius (Pope, 283-2l»t> ), who was related to the Emperor Diocletian. Diocletian sent for Susanna and offered to make her the wife of his adopted son and heir, Gralerius Maximian. He was much astonished at her refusal and re- quested his mythical wife, St. < Serexa (3), to reason with her. Serena being secretly a Christian, encouraged Susanna, and represented to Diocletian that there were plenty of girls as good in every respect as Susanna, from amongst whom to choose a bride for the Augustus. Dio- cletian said, *' No violence shall be done to any damsel under my roof. Let the fool go back to her father." Susanna and her father, St. Gabinius, made several converts, amongst whom were their kins- man St. Claudius, his wife St. Praepe- DiGXA, and their sons. About two months from the time she had left the emperor's palace, Susanna was arrested, and after being insulted and tortured in various ways, she was beheaded. She was buried in the churchyard of Alex- ander ; and the same day, the Pope said mass there in honour of St. Susanna, virgin and martyr. Her Acts are ancient, but were not written until after her worship was es- tablished. A very old church, called by her name, stands on the Quirinal. BM. AA,SS. Yillegas. Martijrum Acta, Baillet. St. Susanna (9), M. with St. Mannea. SS. Susanna (lO), Marciana (4), and Palladia, May 24, MM. in the time of Diocletian. They were wives of three of the two hundred and fifty soldiers who were put to death for the faith with their captain, St. Meletius. The three women and their little children were broken in pieces. They are represented each with a child holding a palm. Palladia some- times holds a buckler, a pun on her name. B.M, Cahier. St. Susanna (ll) or Susia, Oct 5, M. with her husband Abahor, and their children. Honoured in the Coptic Church. AA.SS. St. Susanna (12), July 10, M. about 37,at Nicopolis in Armenia, with St. Milion and others. Stadler. Guerin.