ST. ATHANASIA 87 went to Strensbalen. After her return from Eome, Modwenna bnilt herself an oratory, dedicated to St. Andrew, on an ishind of Kent, called Scalecliff, after- wards Andresia, and when she went back to Ireland she left Atea in charge of it. Lives of the Women Saints of , , . England, E.E.T.S. St. Atela, May 24. In Campania. Mart, of Beichenau. St. Athala, sometimes means Adela or Adelaide, and sometimes Attala. St Athna, Ethnea. St. Athanasia (l)>or Aspasia, Jan. 31, M. 312, towards the end of the per- secution under Maximinns. She and her three daughters, Theodosia, Theoctiste, and EuDoxiA, the eldest of whom was fif- teen, were tortured and beheaded at Cano- pus, not far from Alexandria. They were encouraged by St. Cyrus, a physician of Alexandria, and St. John, who were tortured at the same time as Athauasia and her daughters, and put to death after them. They were the last martyrs in this, the last general persecution of the Christians. AA.SS. Neale, Holy Eastern Church. Martin. St Athanasia (2), Feb. 27. 5th cen- tury. Wife of St Andronicus, and com- memorated with him, Oct. 0. He was a silyersmith of Antioch. They were rich in this world's goods and also in good works. They had one son and one daughter, who both died on the same day, when they were about twelve years old. Andronicus resigned himself, like Job, to the will of God. Athanasia, overcome with grief, would not leave the church of St Julian, where her children were buried; but said she would die there, and be buried with them. At midnight, St. Julian the martyr appeared to her dressed as a monk. He asked her why she wept, and why she did not leave the dead alone. She told him her grief. Ho comforted her with the assurance that her children were alive with Christ in Paradise. The saint disappeared, and she understood that she had seen a vision. She returned to her house and told everything to her liusband. They liberated their slaves, sold their goods, gave most of their money to the poor, and the rest to his father-in-law, biddiug him to show charity and hospitality to sick persons, monks, and pilgrims. Leav- ing Antioch, they went to the holy places at Jerusalem, and conversed with godly persons living in that city. Then they journeyed to Egypt to the desert of Scete, and visited the Abbot Daniel, who had a great reputation for sanctity. By his advice Athanasia took the veil in a convent at Tabenna or in Alexandria. Andronicus became a monk, and re- mained with Daniel and his brethren. After twelve years spent among these monks, Andronicus had a great longing to revisit Jerusalem, and with Daniel's permission he set out on a journey thither. One day, as he sat resting under a palm-tree, he saw a monk coming towards him. This monk was Athanasia, who also had been seized with an ardent desire to return to Jerusalem, and had disguised herself as a man for the pur- pose. She recognized her husband, but he only saw in her a stranger of his own sex and profession. She was the more altered of the two, her ascetic life having deprived her of all remains of beauty, and made her as black as an Ethiopian. Andronicus had no suspicion that hor dress was a disguise, and they sat to- gether and talked as two pilgrims who met for the first time. Hearing that ho came from Daniel's monastery, Athanasia asked if he knew a monk there of the name of Andronicua "Yes," said he, " I know him well." To which she re- sponded, '* May his prayers be with us.**
- Amen," answered Andronicus. As
they were both going the same way, they made the remainder of the pil- grimage together, and when they re- turned to Egypt, Andronicus proposed that they should live together. Atha- nasia consented, on condition that they should observe a strict rule of silence. They lived twelve years in one cell, never speaking except to say their prayers. During all that time Andro- nicus did not suspect that his companion was the sanfB with whom he had lived so many years at Antioch, and who had borne him two children. At last she was attacked by fever, and Andronicus went in great distress for the abbot of a neighbouring community, begging him
