Sts. Perpetua and Felicity
Feast Day: March 7
“Stand fast in the faith and love one another. Do not let our sufferings be a stumbling block to you.” – St. Perpetua
Sts. Perpetua and Felicity, young mothers and martyrs, are honored for their unwavering courage and fidelity to Christ in the face of brutal persecution. Their feast day, celebrated on March 7, commemorates their heroic witness to the faith and their profound example of Christian sisterhood and love.
Faithful Women of Courage
Perpetua was a noblewoman from Carthage (modern-day Tunisia), well-educated and recently married, with an infant son. Felicity was a slave woman, pregnant at the time of her arrest. Despite their different social backgrounds, they were united as sisters in Christ, arrested together along with several other catechumens during the violent persecutions of Emperor Septimius Severus around 203 A.D.
Perpetua’s father, who was not a Christian, pleaded with her to renounce her faith to save her life and care for her child. But Perpetua courageously declared, “I cannot be called anything other than what I am—a Christian.”
A Sisterhood in Suffering
Felicity, heavily pregnant during her imprisonment, feared she would not suffer martyrdom with her companions since Roman law forbade executing pregnant women. However, shortly before their scheduled execution, she miraculously gave birth to a daughter, who was adopted and raised by fellow Christians.
Perpetua and Felicity supported one another with steadfast love and prayer, encouraging their companions as they faced the ultimate test of faith.
Martyrdom in the Arena
On the day of their execution, Perpetua, Felicity, and their companions were led into the amphitheater of Carthage, where they were attacked by wild beasts and then slain by the sword. Eyewitnesses reported that Perpetua guided the hand of the trembling executioner to ensure a swift and dignified death.
Their story was so moving that it was recorded shortly after their death in “The Passion of Saints Perpetua and Felicity”, one of the oldest and most powerful martyrdom accounts in Christian history—partly written by Perpetua herself while in prison.
Patronesses of Mothers, Expectant Mothers, and Martyrs
Sts. Perpetua and Felicity are the patron saints of mothers, expectant mothers, and those facing persecution, reflecting their witness as women who embraced both the gift of motherhood and the call to martyrdom.
A Witness of Faith, Sisterhood, and Courage
The lives of Sts. Perpetua and Felicity remind the faithful that love for Christ transcends all earthly attachments, including fear, suffering, and even death. Their example continues to inspire Christians to stand firm in faith and to support one another in love and solidarity.
Sts. Perpetua and Felicity, pray for us!
