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July 16

The holy Martyr Julia of Carthage.

So strong is the charm of virtue that it endears itself even to its enemies, as we see in the virgin Julia, one of the most illustrious Martyrs of the Church. This virgin was at Carthage in Africa when, by the just judgment of God, that city, so celebrated in antiquity and long the rival of Rome for dominion of the world, was taken by Genseric, King of the [Arian] Vandals, on October 19, 439. This prince, not content with seizing from the Africans all they possessed, took them captive with no regard for age or sex or rank. Saint Julia, who belonged to a patrician family, was beset with this misfortune, and became the slave of a pagan named Eusebius, a native of Syria who had settled in Africa.

Since she was perfectly instructed in the teachings of Christianity and knew what the Chief Apostle teaches servants and serving-maids about submitting to their masters [vid. 1 Peter 2:18 ff], not only when they are good and moderate masters, but also when they are boorish and difficult, she acquitted herself so well in her duties, and took such care of the housekeeping, that her master had nothing at all to complain of: on the contrary, seeing that after her chores she applied herself to prayer and reading, and that she mortified her body with continual fasts and vigils, he had compassion for her and urged her to take care of herself a little. But the love of God and the desire to suffer for His glory’s sake kept her from relaxing her austerities in any way, and it was only on Sunday, because of the Lord’s Resurrection, that she took a little more food.

Eusebius, whose employment was that of a merchant in various countries, took ship to convey his merchandise into Gaul, taking his slave with him. When his vessel was near Corsica, he had it come close to the northernmost point, nowadays called Cap-Corse, and disembarked. He mingled with the local inhabitants who were celebrating a festival in honor of their gods, and were about to sacrifice a bull to them.

Julia kept aloof from them lest in any way she participate in such a ceremony; nor could she even keep herself from loudly deploring the pagans’ ungodliness and extravagance. Felix, governor of the island, ere long heard of the valiant frankness with which she had expressed herself. He asked the merchant who that woman was who had dared so to speak against the gods. Eusebius told him that she was a Christian, and that he had never succeeding in making her change her religion; moreover, that he found her exceedingly faithful and exact in her duties, and that he would never go so far as to dismiss her.

Felix proposed that Eusebius hand her over to him, and offered him in exchange four of his best slaves. “All your goods,” he answered, “would not be enough to pay what she is worth. I would sacrifice my dearest and most precious possessions to keep her.” Felix did not give up there. He invited Eusebius to eat with him and gave orders that they get him drunk. When he saw him fast asleep, he sent for Julia and told her that if she would offer a sacrifice to the gods, he would take it upon himself to get her set free. The Saint rejected this offer with horror. “I am free,” she replied, “in that I serve Jesus Christ, and whatever may befall me, I will never buy my freedom with a wretched apostasy.” The governor, believing himself defied by so bold a reply, commanded first that they strike her several blows on the cheeks so that her mouth and her whole face were bloodied. Then he had her inhumanly dragged by her hair and scourged with such barbarity that her whole body was torn up by it. Finally he had her affixed to a cross, so that she might end her life with the same torments with which her God and her Bridegroom had ended His. Julia rejoiced exceedingly, and thought it a greater glory to herself to mount on that gibbet than on the chiefest throne in the world. The Cross was the instrument of her happiness, and served her as a step to ascend more easily to the place of eternal rest. Her soul left her body in the appearance of a dove, testifying that in the midst of the temptations of the world and the dangers of a slave’s estate, she had preserved her chastity inviolable. Eusebius, learning of what had happened when he awoke, dared not seek revenge, as he needed the governor’s assistance for his commerce.

After her illustrious martyrdom, Angels informed monks dwelling on the island of Gorgona, also called Margarita, to get themselves to Corsica to carry away her honorable body. They quickly took to sea and arrived at the island indicated to them. Finding her body still hanging on the cross, they detached it and bore it to their monastery. In the course of time, Ansa or Ansia, wife of Desiderius, King of Lombardy, built a magnificent church in Brescia, whither she had the Saint’s holy relics translated about the year 763. Corsica now has the illustrious patrician of Carthage as her patroness. She is still specially honored in Brescia and in Bergamo in northern Italy.

The preceding was translated from the Petits Bollandistes, Vol 6, pp. 102–4, and is copyright, by Holy Transfiguration Monastery. The life of Saint Julia is said to have been written by Victor, Bishop of Vita in North Africa, author of the History of the Vandal Persecution.

Saint Julia is commemorated in the Roman Martyrology on May 22. Her feast was introduced into the Slavic Synaxaria on July 16. She shares with Saint Devota the distinction of being Patroness of Corsica.

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