Martyr
A martyr is someone who gives supreme witness to the truth of the faith by willingly accepting death. True martyrdom requires three essential elements: the voluntary endurance of death, a direct motivation rooted in Christian virtue or faith, and the killer's explicit hatred of the faith (odium fidei).
The assignment of individual saints to a particular class within the database is ongoing, and so the list of Saints of this class may be incomplete. The Shrine asks your patience as we work to catalog the extensive collection of relics we retain!
Longinus, Centurion (Pierced the Side of Christ) and Martyr (+c.45AD)Philip, Apostle, Martyr (x3) (+1st century)Ananias of Damascus, Bishop and Martyr (Converted St. Paul) (+c.65AD)Paul of Tarsus, Apostle and Martyr (x4) (+c.66AD)Apphia of Colossae, Equal to the Apostles (Co-Martyr with husband, Philemon) (+c.68AD)Alexander I, Pope of Rome & Martyr (+c.117AD)Apollonia of Alexandria, Virgin and Martyr (+c.249AD)Anastasia of Rome, Virgin and Martyr (x2) (+c.250AD)Agatha, Virgin & Martyr (+251AD)Agrippina of Rome, Virgin and Martyr (+262AD)Bacchus, Soldier and Martyr, Companion of St. Sergius (x2) (+303AD)Agnes of Rome, Virgin and "Great Martyr" (x2) (+304AD)Catherine of Alexandria, Virgin and Martyr (+c.305AD)Adrian of Nicomedia, Martyr (+306AD)Barbara of Nicomedia, Virgin and "Great Martyr" (+306AD)Boniface of Tarsus, Martyr (+c.307AD)Blaise, Bishop of Sebaste and Martyr (+316AD)Alexander, Patriarch of Alexandria and Martyr (+328AD)Bibiana of Rome, Virgin and Martyr (+c.361AD)Boris, Prince of Kiev, Martyr (+1015AD)Thomas a Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury & Martyr (+1170AD)Basil (Vasil) Hopko, Auxiliary Bishop of Presov & Martyr (Under the Communist Yoke) (+1976AD) |
The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church"
~St. Tertullian |
