St. Pelagia
Pelagia,
more often called Margaret, on account of the magnificence of the
pearls for which she had so often sold herself, was an actress of
Antioch, equally celebrated for her beauty, her wealth and the disorder
ofher life. During a synod at Antioch, she passed Bishop St. Nonnus
of Edessa, who was struck with her beauty; the next day she went to
hear him preach and was so moved by his sermon that she asked him to
baptize her which he did. She gave her wealth to Nonnus to aid the poor and left Antioch
dressed in men's clothing. She became a hermitess in a cave on Mount of
Olivette in Jerusalem, where she lived in great austerity, performing
penances and known as "the beardless monk" until her sex was discovered
at her death. Though a young girl of fifteen did exist and suffer
martyrdom at Antioch
in the fourth century, the story heretold is a pious fiction, which
gave rise to a whole set of similar stories under different names. Her feast day is October 8th.
