Holy Transvestites! The Story of St Apollinaria and Other…

The Venerable Apollinaria:  Feast Day January 5^th

While January is powered by Epiphany and the many name days of John, Ioanna, Basil/Basiliki, and Gregory, a less-known female saint by the name of Apollinaria goes by unnoticed.  But her story is about the love of sisters in the brutal cruelty of mental illness.  She also represents one of a series of “holy transvestites”or women who cross-dressed in order to join the ranks of male monasteries.

Apollinaria, as her name suggests lived in the 5^th century at the zenith of the Olympian gods.  She was born to the regent of the adolescent Emperor Theodosius the Younger in Byzantium.  Anthemius had two daughter: Apollinaria the eldest, intelligent and humble, and her sister who was insane, probably a schizophrenic.  Apollinaria swore to give her life to Christ and instead of following her father’s ultimatum to marry, she crossdressed as a man (this was the way to escape the confines of narrow gender roles in those days—you disappeared as a woman by becoming a man), left everything behind and disappeared into the desert wilderness outside of Alexandria.

An angel appeared to her in a dream and told her to go to the monastery of Sketis, which was under the spiritual direction of St. Macarius of Egypt, and to call herself Dorotheus. St. Macarius accepted her as one of the brethren, and she quickly distinguished herself by her ascetic life.

Now it came to pass that someone advised Anthemius, her father, to visit the monastery in the desert in the hope that the prayers of the monks would heal his insane daughter.  It so happened that he brought the insane woman to her.  Apollinaria’s prayers miraculously healed her insane sister, but not before being punished for it. She was accused of raping her own sister.  “After she returned home, the maiden was attacked by a violent demon, who made her appear pregnant. The demon spoke through the girl’s lips, saying that Dorotheus had forced himself on her. Her outraged parents sent soldiers to the monastery to find the one who had defiled their daughter.

St. Apollinaria took the blame and accompanied the envoys to the home of her parents. There she revealed her secret to her parents, healed her sister, and returned to Sketis. She died shortly thereafter in the year 470.”(Saint’s Lives). Only after the death of Dorotheus was it revealed that “he” was actually a woman. The saint was buried in a cave in the monastery church of St. Macarius of Egypt.

The trope of women disguised as men so that they could escape into monasticism is actually common not just for Apollonaria.  Here are some others:

St Euphrosyne / Smaragdus Sep 25th

“She was the daughter of a wealthy Christian, Paphnutius, who with his wife brought up Euphrosyne in piety. Not wishing to marry, she secretly fled her home and its wealth, dressed herself in men’s clothing and entered a monastery using the name of Smaragdus. There she lived in asceticism for thirty-eight years. She only revealed her identity on her death-bed. Her father Paphnutius became a monk in the same monastery, and entered into repose ten years after his daughter. “

(“God is wonderful in his saints”)

St Theodora / Theodorus of Alexandria Sep 11th

“While a young married woman, she committed adultery with another man. Seized by remorse, she fled her husband’s house, dressed herself as a man, renamed herself Theodore, and entered a men’s monastery, pretending to be a eunuch. “Theodore”‘s fasts, prayers, vigils and tears amazed “his” brethren. Her secret was only discovered after her death. She had spent nine full years devoting her life to repentance for one sin. During her life she showed herself to be a wonder-worker, taming wild beasts and healing sicknesses. Her husband came to her funeral, then lived until his death in the cell of his former wife.”

(“God is wonderful in his saints”)

St Eugenia / Eugenios of Alexandria Dec 24th, and Protas & Hyacinthus, her eunuch slaves.

“This Martyr was the daughter of most distinguished and noble parents named Philip and Claudia. Philip, a Prefect of Rome, moved to Alexandria with his family. In Alexandria, Eugenia opportunity to learn the Christian Faith, in particular when she encountered the Epistles of Saint Paul, the reading of which filled her with compunction and showed her clearly the vanity of the world. Secretly taking two of her servants, Protas and Hyacinth, she departed from Alexandria by night. Disguised as a man, she called herself Eugene [Eugenios-ed.] while pretending to be a eunuch, and departed with her servants and took up the monastic life in a monastery of men. Her parents mourned for her, but could not find her. After Saint Eugenia had laboured for some time in the monastic life, a certain woman named Melanthia, thinking Eugene to be a monk, conceived lust and constrained Eugenia to comply with herdesire; when Eugenia refused, Melanthia slandered Eugenia to the Prefect as having done insult to her honour. Eugenia was brought before the Prefect, her own father Philip, and revealed to him both that she was innocent of the accusations, and that she was his own daughter. Through this, Philip became a Christian; he was afterwards beheaded at Alexandria. Eugenia was taken back to Rome with Protas and Hyacinth. All three of them ended their life in martyrdom in the years of Commodus, who reigned from 180 to 192.”

(“God is wonderful in his saints”)

St Matrona /Babylas of Perge Nov 9

“She was from Perga in Pamphylia, and married very young, to a youth named Domitian, to whom she bore a daughter. The couple settled in Constantinople. Matrona became so constant in attending all-night vigils in the city’s many churches that her husband suspected her of infidelity and forbade her to go out. This was unbearable to Matrona, who fled the house with her daughter. Determined to embrace monastic life, she gave her daughter into the care of a nun named Susanna, disguised herself as a eunuch, and entered the monastery of St Bassian (October 10) under the name of Babylas.”

(Later, she was found to be female, and was forced to leave the monastery – but instead was helped to form a women’s counterpart, and founded a strong community of monastic women.)

St. Uncumber [or Wilgefortis] July 20th (This is a Catholic saint, but a bit unusual as she wore a beard)

A bearded woman saint, also known as St. Liverade (France), Liberata (Italy), Liberada (Spain), Debarras (Beauvais), Ohnkummer (Germany), and Ontcommere (Flanders), she was represented as a bearded woman on a cross.

This one, to be fair, has limited historical validity, but is fun to remember all the same. The legend has it that she was a woman, sworn to holy virginity, who grew a beard to avoid being forced into the marriage her father had arranged for her. Furious, he had her killed, so that she is remembered as the crucified bearded lady. History suggests, however, that the legend is based on some very simple errors of interpretation.

And Some Others:

• St Mary / Marinos of Alexandria Feb 12th
• Marina/Marinos of Alexandria 12/02
• Apollinaria/Dorotheos 5/01

• St Hildegonde of Neuss near Cologne April 20th, A nun who lived under the name “Brother Joseph” in the Cistercian monastery of Schoenau near Heidelberg
• St. Anastasia the Patrician (or “of Constantinople”) , May 10th
• St Pelagia / Pelagios June 9th
• St Marina /Marinos of Antioch, July 17th
• St Marina of Sicily July 20th
• St Thekla of Iconium Sept 23rd
• St Athanasia of Antioch Oct 9th
• St. Anna/Euphemianos of Constantinople, Oct 29th

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St Hermione: A Superhero Saint of Epic Proportions

The name Hermione was made famous in a popular culture kind of way by the loyal morally upright super heroine of Harry Potter fame. Bur her Christian namesake is herself a superhero. St. Hermione has  life story would no doubt make a blockbuster movie complete with gory special effects.  These would be some scenes from the movie:

Scene 1: a young Hermione along with her sister get lost in a hostile desert of Turkey replete with marauding bandits and thieves.  They are on a search to find St. John the Theologian who dies while they are searching for him.  Instead they meet with a disciple of St. Paul named Petronius.  They are converted and Hermione starts her own healing ministry.

Scene 2 To coerce her to renege on her faith, the evil emperor Trajan had her slapped on the face for hours.  (She would literally turn the other cheek, smack, turn the other cheek, smack, and so on).  Her reaction? She sang hymns to God and went through it generally in good spirits.

Scene 3: When pressed to betray her faith in Jesus and offer sacrifices to Hercules by Trajan’s successor, Hadrian,  pierced the soles of her feet with nails. Not content to see her go by unscathed by tortures that did not affect her, the emperor devised that would be fried in a skillet.  The other ingredient were boiling tar, lead and brimstone.  But that didn’t phase her.  The fire that was cooking her went out, the lead spilled out, and the saint remained unharmed. Hadrian couldn’t believe it.  So he himself went up to the place of torture and touched the cauldron to see whether it was actually cold. Like a foolish villain, he burns the skin off his entire hand on the pot.  This enrages him even more.  He then calls for a giant frying pan and forces his evil henchman to throw her in the middle naked.  But through another miracle, the angel of the Lord disrupts the coals under the pan and spills them out scorching those who were near the frying pan.  (Yes!!!)

Scene 4  Hermione finds herself in a temple dedicated to the demi-god Hercules.  The evil henchmen are wringing their hands waiting for her to offer burnt sacrifices to idols.  But just like that, BOOM! A mighty thunderclap is heard demolishing all the statues of the idols.  The emperor in a fit orders two of his cut throats to bring her (just like Snow White) into the deep wood, cut off her head and bring back her bloody heart.

Scene 5: The servants, Theotimos and Theodulos, are in a rush to chop off her head.  They give her no time to say her prayers.  Ack! To their dismay, they see their hands slowly withering into rubbery, brown nothing (can you see the special effects on that one?) In repentance, they fall to their knees and pray.  They become instantly converted and therefore saved.

Hermione lives the end of her days establishing hospices (in those days half-hospitals, half-hotel sort of places) and cured many in body and soul.  She was the daughter or St. Philip the Deacon. Her feast day is commemorated on September 11th.

Scene 4

Saint Thekla, Equal to the Apostles

Saint Thekla is in my humble opinion equal to St. Paul for converting many to Christ.  She was not just St. Paul’s follower or side-kick; she was his right-hand woman.

This is her story:

According to ancient Syrian and Greek manuscripts, Saint Thekla was born into a prosperous pagan family in the Lycaonian city of Iconium (present-day Konya in south-central Turkey) in A.D. 16. When she was 18 years old and betrothed to a young man named Thamyris, Saint Paul the Apostle and Saint Barnabas arrived in Iconium from Antioch (Acts 14). Thekla’s mother Theokleia prohibited her from joining the crowds which gathered to hear Paul preach. But Thekla found that if she sat near her bedroom window she could hear his every word. Thekla sat there for three days and three nights listening to Paul preach the word of God. She was parti­cularly touched by his call to chastity. As it became apparent that Thekla was becoming interested in the new Faith, Theokleia and Thamyris went to the governor of the city and complained about Paul and his preaching. To pacify them and the other outraged citizens of Iconium, the governor had Paul imprisoned to await trial.

When Thekla learned of Paul’s arrest she secretly went to the prison, and using her golden bracelets to bribe the guard, gained admittance to his cell. When she saw the Apostle she knelt before him and kissed the chains which bound his hands and feet. She remained there a long time listening to his message of the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Being concerned at Thekla’s prolonged absence, Theokleia and Thamy­ris asked her servant if she knew where she was. The servant said that Thekla had gone to visit an imprisoned stranger. Theokleia and Thamyris knew at once that she was with Paul. They decided to go again to the governor, this time demanding immediate judgement for the Apostle. After the governor chastened Paul for the disturbances he had caused in the city, he had him stoned and expelled from Iconium. The governor then admon­ished Thekla for her foolishness and commanded her to return home with her mother and fiancé. When Thekla announced that she had vowed to remain a virgin for the sake of Christ, her mother became enraged and asked the governor to threaten Thekla with severe punishment. The gov­ernor complied with this wish and ruled that Thekla was to be burned at the stake unless she renounced her faith in Christ.

When Thekla refused to renounce her Heavenly Bridegroom, she was taken to the arena for punishment. As she was tied to the stake she saw a vision of Jesus Christ which gave her strength to face the flames. The fire was lit, but as the flames came near Thekla a thunderstorm suddenly arose and a great torrent of rain and hail came down from heaven and extinguished the flames. Embarrassed because his plan had failed, the angry governor released Thekla but commanded that she must leave Iconium at once.

Upon her release, Thekla went to the outskirts of the city where she rejoined Paul. She told him of her trial and miraculous escape from punish­ment and asked for baptism. Paul refused to baptize Thekla, saying that this would be accomplished in God’s own way and time. Paul and Thekla then departed from the region of Iconium and traveled to Antioch in Syria. As they were entering the city a young nobleman named Alexander saw Thekla. Being entranced by her beauty he rushed forward and tried to seduce her, but Thekla fought him off, thus disgracing him in front of his crowd of friends. Alexander went to the governor of Antioch and complained that this wandering girl had disgraced him, a nobleman, in public. He demanded that she be punished with death. The governor complied and ruled that Thekla would face the wild beasts in the arena. Thekla’s only reply was that she be allowed to preserve her virginity unto death. Her wish was granted and she was given into the care of the noblewoman Tryphaena, a relative of Caesar, until the time of punishment.

When Thekla was taken to the arena, a lioness was set free to attack her. But to the astonishment of the crowd, the lioness approached the Saint and sat tamely at her feet. A bear was then released, but as it came close to Thekla the lioness rose up to defend her and killed the bear. A large lion was then released. The lioness again came to Thekla’s defense killing the lion, but losing her own life also. Then all the cages were opened and a large number of wild animals charged at the defenseless Thekla. After crossing herself and praying for courage, the Saint noticed a large tank of water which was nearby, containing the aquatic animals. She climbed into the water, asking that she might be baptized by Christ as she did so. Seeing that the beasts were unable to harm Thekla, Alexander asked that the Saint be given over to him for punishment. He tied her to two large bulls in the hopes that they would pull her asunder. But when the bulls charged off in opposite directions, the ropes which held Thekla to them were miracu­lously loosened and she was spared. Seeing that no harm could be done to Thekla, the authorities released her. She went to the home of Tryphaena where she remained for eight days preaching the Good News of Jesus Christ and converting Tryphaena and her entire household. When she departed from Antioch, Tryphaena gave her a treasure in gold and precious jewels.

After she left Antioch, Thekla journeyed to Myra where she rejoined Paul. She informed him of all that had occurred, including her baptism and asked that she might be permitted to spend the remainder of her life as an ascetic. Paul gave her his blessing and she departed, leaving with Paul all the gold and jewels that Tryphaena had given her so that he might distribute them among the poor and needy.

Thekla then traveled again to Syria where she went up into the moun­tains for a life of prayer and solitude. Many years later a young pagan found her praying in an isolated canyon and resolved to harass her and spoil her virginity. As he approached her and blocked her only exit to safety, she prayed that her Bridegroom would protect her as He had so many times in the past. At that moment the canyon wall was miraculously split allowing her to escape through a narrow crack in the rock.

Saint Thekla continued her life of asceticism and then peacefully fell asleep in Christ at the age of 90. Shortly after her death a community of virgins went to live in her mountain cell, building a small chapel to en­shrine her body. This Convent of Saint Thekla still exists today near the village of Ma‘loula, Syria.

Because of her many sufferings for the Faith the Church counts her as a “Protomartyr”. And because she converted so many people to Christ­ianity she is also know as an “Equal-to-the-Apostles”. (http://ww1.antiochian.org/life_of_thekla)

 

Today September 23rd in the Julian Calendar is her name day. Blessed feast day to all those who are named after her.