Saint Romana of Rome

At that time, invincible martyrs were everywhere sustaining heroic combats for the faith of Jesus Christ. The account of their victories inflamed the courage of Romaine and inspired in her the desire to follow in their footsteps. Having left her family and her homeland, she departed for the Gauls with eleven intrepid companions. Led by Jesus Christ, whose glorious servants they were, the twelve virgins followed the route illustrated by the preachings and miracles of Saint Denis, Saint Lucien, Saint Rieul, and several other evangelical workers whom the blessed Pope Clemen t had sent beyond the Al bienheureux pape Clément Pope who ordained and sent Latuin on a mission. ps. The very strength of God sustained them during this long and perilous journey and rendered them inaccessible to both fear and weakness. There is undoubtedly something marvelous in this apostolate of twelve young girls, braving all sorts of dangers to go and work from afar for the growth of the holy Church; but is not everything marvelous and divine in the establishment of Christianity?

As she advanced toward the regions of the Beauvaisis, Romana lost from time to time some of her companions who separated from their friends, to go where the Spirit of God directed them. When she entered the city of Beauvais, only two remained with her: Lecoberia and Benedicta, who in their turn departed. Lecoberia suffered martyrdom in Laon, and Benedicta in Origny. The presence of Romana in Beauvais was no less useful to the ministry of Saint Lucian than to the faith saint Lucien Missionary companion of Saint Quentin. ful of that city. By the example of her virtues and her persuasive exhortations, she began the conversion of the idolaters: bringing them then to the feet of the Pontiff, he would complete his work, and introduce them through baptism into the bosom of the Church. She exercised in the midst of the Christians a mission of charity, devotion, and sacrifice. She became the arm of the weak, the cooperator of the evangelical workers, the beneficent providence of all the poor.

After the death of the glorious apostle of Beauvais and his holy companions, Romaine was the consoling angel of the faithful. She often led them to the tombs of the three martyrs, where she would go to pray with them for the triumph of the Church. She soon left them to enter into eternal rest. Her examples, her discourses, and her sacrifices had contributed too much to the progress of Christianity in the city of Beauvais for her to escape the jealousy of the demon and the fury of the enemies of Jesus Christ. Arrested and brought to the tribunal of the pagans, the Saint made a public confession of her faith. Her judges, thinking it would be easy for them to overcome the resistance of a weak girl, exposed to her eyes all sorts of instruments of torture. To threats, they made deceptive promises succeed. The virgin remained unshakeably attached to the Savior. Condemned to capital punishment, she mingled her blood with that of the Lamb who died for the redemption of men, and went to take her place in the midst of the elect. Romaine is the first who, in the Beauvaisis, joined the palm of martyrdom to the bed of virginity.

## CULT AND RELICS. The Christians piously collected the remains of the Saint and buried them with honor. Soon she received a public cult. Later, a monastery bearing her name along with that of Saint Maxien was built on the hill of Montmille. H er glory increased w colline de Montmille Site of the first monastery dedicated to the saint. ith the progress of Christianity in the Beauvaisis region. The inhabitants of these lands, venerating her under the titles of patroness and mother, transported her body to the cathedral church, where it remained until the 14th century. In 1869, Guy, Bi shop of Beauvais, perfo Guy, évêque de Beauvais Bishop of Beauvais who oversaw the translation of relics. rmed a solemn translation of them to th e monastery of Saint-Quent monastère de Saint-Quentin Monastery in Beauvais housing the saint's relics. in, recently founded by his care.

The religious of this abbey did not take long to experience the effects of Romaine's protection. Reduced to great poverty by the disgrace and exile of Guy, their benefactor, they had sold their furniture and placed the sacred vessels and precious ornaments of their church in storage to procure the most essential things for life. In this extremity, they had recourse to the powerful Martyr. Having taken the reliquary that contained her blessed remains, they carried it from town to town, and from village to village, soliciting, in her name, the alms of Christians. Romaine manifested for them the power she had received from God. In the vicinity of Mantes (Seine-et-Oise), an unfortunate man named Bérenger, whom horrible sufferings had kep t in his Bérenger Uncle of Ismidon who sent him to study in Valence. bed for three years, was brought before her relics: this man, having invoked the Blessed one with faith, suddenly found himself healed. As he was pressed to recount the manner in which this wonder had been performed, he replied: "I was praying beside the holy relics of Romaine when, towards the middle of the night, it seemed to me that I saw the glorious Martyr approach me and drive away the illness from which I was suffering. Finding myself delivered from my infirmity, I rose immediately, and, with the religious, I thanked the divine goodness for having restored my health." Bérenger accompanied the relics of his benefactress, from whom he no longer wished to be separated, and devoted his whole life to honoring and praying to her.

After this miraculous healing, the pious solicitors spent a few days in Mantes where they received abundant alms. Their return to the diocese of Beauvais was marked by new signs of the virgin's influence with God. Argenteuil had a large share in the blessings that the Lord poured out on the passage of the holy procession. Everywhere, the populations recognized these favors with generous largesse.

When the religious of Saint-Quentin had reinstated the reliquary of Romaine in their abbey, they were able, with the help of the aid they had collected, to repair part of the evils that the disgrace of Guy had brought down upon their community. The piety of Guy towards the Blessed one also had its reward: he saw the rigor of his trials softened and their duration shortened, a benefit he was pleased to attribute to the influence of Romaine with God.

Taken from the Life of the Saints of the diocese of Beauvais, by Abbé Sabatier.