St. Restituta of Corsica

  Posted on May 21, 2020  by admin  No comments

Died: beheaded 21 May in 217, 218, 225 or 303 (records vary), relics interred under the altar in the chapel of Saint Resistude in Calenzana in the 16th century and re-discovered during repairs in 1951 

Patronage: Calenzana, Corsica, France (declared in 1984 by the Congregation for Divine Worship), Balagne, Corsica, France (declared in 1984 by the Congregation for Divine Worship) 

Feast: 21 May

We have two stories about this martyr, one medieval with limited information, the second later in composition, and much more colourful. The oldest sources say that Restituta fled persecution in north Africa with five male companions (possibly the Martyrs of Noli). She evangelized the Balagne region of Corsica, and was martyred by Roman authorities during one of the imperial persecutions (dates vary). 

The later documents say that she was born to a pagan family with ties to the imperial Roman army, converted to Christianity as a girl and was soon denounced to anti–Christian local authorities. She was beaten and stoned to get her to renounce Christianity. When she refused, she was thrown into a fire, but would not burn. She was then beaten with iron combs, but her wounds bled milk. These miracles converted several of the soldiers who were guarding and torturing her. She was then taken out to sea and thrown in to drown, but a chunk of cork floated her back to shore while the pagans on the boat were drowned. Her tormentors finally gave up on these slow, torturous methods of murder, and beheaded her with several other stubborn Christians. These martyrs then picked up the severed heads and walked to the place where the first chapel of Saint Restituta was built.