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ST. EUSTOCHIUM

Him, in presence of the B. V. Mary. She nearly died of joy at the moment, and very soon afterwards her illness ended in death. Pio, Uomini e donne. Razzi, Predictori, AA.SS., Præter.

St. Eustochium, Sept. 28 (Eustoquie, Julia Eustochia). c. 370-416. Her original name was Julia; that of Eustochion, signifying justness of aim, was added as a term of praise and endearment. Daughter of a more famous saint, Paula, friend of St. Marcella. Eustochium was the first of the women of high station in Rome to consecrate herself from her youth to serve God in virginity. Of studious and ascetic proclivities, she resisted the attempts of some members of her family to interest her in dress, fashion, and frivolity. With the assistance of St. Jerome, she assiduously studied the Holy Scriptures and learned Hebrew, in order to sing the psalms in the original language. She accompanied Paula to the Holy Land, lived with her in the convent they built at Bethlehem, and after nursing her with devotion during her last illness, succeeded her, in 404, as head of that establishment. She had under her care her young relations, Paula and Melania. The house was burned in a riot instigated by the Pelagian heretics. St. Jerome praises her cleverness, and her usefulness and piety. His treatise, De Virginitate and many of his letters, are addressed to her. Jerome was so overcome with grief, so profoundly discouraged by the death of Paula, that he lost all interest in the work of translation, in which she had so long been associated with him. Eustochium, to rouse him from his sorrow and apathy, brought him a passage in the book of Ruth, where they had left off, and asked his opinion about the rendering of a sentence. Almost mechanically he gave the help she sought, and gradually his love of the great work returned, and the Latin version of the Bible was at length completed. R.M. Mésenguy. Baillet. Jerome's Letters, edited by Fremantle.

St. Eustolia, Nov. 9, Oct. 31. 6th century. Honoured at Constantinople with St. Sopatra, a nun and daughter of the Emperor Maurice. R.M., Nov. 9. The Græco-Slavonian Calendar, Oct. 31, makes Eustolia also a daughter of Maurice. Compare Damiana.

St. Euthalia, Aug. 27. Middle of 3rd century. V. M. She lived at Leontini, in Sicily, where her mother, Eutropia (1), was cured of dysentery by St. Alpheus and other Christians. The mother and daughter then believed in Christ, but Sirmilian, the brother of Euthalia, was so angry with his mother that he locked her up, intending to strangle her. She was liberated by one of her maids and escaped. Euthalia reproached her brother for his barbarity, and he fiercely demanded, "Art thou also a Christian?" She answered, "Indeed I am, and am ready to die for my Lord." Sirmilian stripped and beat her, and gave her to one of his slaves; but at her prayer the man became blind. When her wicked brother saw this, he cut off her head. R.M. AA.SS. Euthasia, mentioned in a Mensæa, is perhaps the same.

St. Euthasia, M. The Mensæasays she was beheaded. Nothing more is known of her. Possibly the same as Euthalia (Aug. 27). AA.SS.

St. Euthecia, Feb. 28, M. at Alexandria with many others. AA.SS.

St. Euthymia, April 26, M. at Antioch, in Syria. AA.SS.

St. Eutica, Aug. 25, M. AA.SS.

St. Euticia (l), or Eutilia, Aug. 10, M. with women and children. AA.SS.

St. Euticia (2), May 7, M. in Africa. AA.SS.

St. Euticia (3), Aug. 11. Mother of St. Taurinus, first bishop of Evreux, of whom nothing is known with any certainty, his history being the work, says Baillet, "d'un imposteur fort ignorant et peu capable d'imposer." Baillet, Vies. AA.SS., Præter.

St. Eutilia, Euticia.

St. Eutimia, May 30, M. at Antioch. Occurs in an ancient copy of the Mart. of St. Jerome. AA.SS. Præfationes, vol. iii.

St. Eutropia (l), Feb. 26. Mother of St. Euthalia. Honoured at Leontini, in Sicily; also mentioned in the Lives of SS. Alphius, Philadelphus, etc. (May 10). AA.SS., Præter.

St. Eutropia (2), Oct. 30, May 25, M. at Alexandria.