Jump to content

Praxedes

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Meissen (talk | contribs) at 12:05, 21 October 2009. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Saint Praxedes
File:Praxedes vermeer.jpg
Saint Praxidis. Attributed to Johannes Vermeer (ca. 1655).
Virgin
Venerated inRoman Catholic Church
FeastJuly 21

Saint Praxedes is a traditional Christian saint of unknown dates. She is sometimes called Praxedis or Praxed.

Not much is known for sure about Praxedes. According to legend, Praxedes was a Roman virgin, daughter of Saint Pudens, "friend of the Apostles", and sister of Saint Pudentiana.

Praxedes and Pudentiana, together with presbyter Pastor and Pope Pius I (140-154), built a baptistry in the church present inside their father's house, and started to baptize pagans. Pudentiana died at the age of sixteen, possibly a martyr, and is buried next to her father Pudens, in the Priscilla catacombs, in via Salaria.

After many years of burying mutilated Christians, visiting the imprisoned, and seeing those she loved suffer, Praxedes died on July 21 of a disputed year, which is now her feast day in the Roman Catholic Church. She was reportedly buried with Pudentiana and Pudens in via Salaria. However, while there is evidence for the life of St. Pudens, there is no direct evidence for either Praxedes or Pudentiana.

A church was built in Praxedes' honor on the alleged site of her house, to which her relics were taken when it was rebuilt by Pope Paschal I as the present Santa Prassede in c. 822.

Práxedes Mateo Sagasta may have been named after Praxedes, as he was born on her feast day.