The holy Virgin Martyrs Justa and Rufina of Seville.
Saints Justa and Rufina lived in Seville in southern Spain; neither of noble birth nor rich, they made a meager living from their pottery-shop near the river. Once in preparation of a festival of the goddess Salambo (a Phoenician goddess associated with Venus), some of the local pagan women, thinking the two virgins to be pagans like themselves, came to buy earthenware vessels from them. When the Christian maidens refused to sell them their wares for such a purpose, the women set down the idol of their goddess that they had with them and furiously smashed the pottery they had for sale. At this, the Saints, grieved not so much at the loss of their livelihood, as at the women’s foolishness in offering divine worship to demons, in the midst of all the disorder took the idol and broke it in pieces. Saints Justa and Rufina were brought before the judge, Diogenianus, who questioned them and, finding them steadfast in their faith, submitted them to tortures, in which Saint Justa gave up her soul; her holy body was cast into a pit. After further tortures Rufina also was put to death. They suffered toward the end of the third century, according to some, about the year 287. They are Patron Saints of Seville and were very popular among potters’ guilds.
Copyright © 2016, Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA, all rights reserved.
All reproduction of texts or icons on this website in any form
without prior written permission is forbidden.