Saint Eulalia of Mérida

However, Dacian came to Mérida and left Calpurnianus there to torment the faithful. Eulalia, having been informed of this, slipped away from the house where she was and returned with Julia, her most faithful companion, to find this tyrant. "Why have you come here," she said to him first, "you who are the enemy of God to whom this city is already entirely devoted; and why do you persecute the Christians, His faithful servants?"

— "What are you saying, little girl?" Calpurnianus replied to her, "and who makes you so bold as to speak to me in this way?"

— "It is true," the Saint rep la Sainte Young virgin martyr of twelve to thirteen years of age, executed under Calpurnianus. lied, "that I am still small, for I am only twelve to thirteen years old, but I do not fear, for that reason, your threats or your tortures, and I have already lived long enough on earth to wish to go and live eternally in heaven."

The judge, having heard this speech, tried to win her over with gentleness; but, seeing that he was wasting his efforts, he handed her over to executioners to be whipped with every kind of rigor and cruelty. This torment served only to encourage her further to bless Jesus Christ and to despise the pagans. When she was brought back to the president, she told him, with renewed vigor, that it was useless for him to torment her, because his power, which extended over her body, had and could have no hold on her soul; that, furthermore, she declared to him loudly that she held his deities in horror, as well as the emperors themselves who worshipped them.

Upon this reply, she was led to prison, and the next day, Calpurnianus having set up his seat in the middle of the public square, he had her brought back before him. There, she was whipped a second time with wet rods, boiling oil was poured on her breast, she was plunged into a bath of burning lime, and molten lead was thrown over her entire body; but as all these torments did not disfigure her: "Let her be taken at once outside the city," said Calpurnianus, "let her be stretched on the rack, let her nails be torn out, let her sides be burned with flaming torches, and let her then be thrown alive into the flames!"

This terrible sentence only brought joy to Eulalia. She was dragged by her hair to the place of execution, while everything the tyrant had ordered was carried out upon her without mercy. It was in the rigor of these pains that, turning toward the persecutor, she said to him with surprising constancy: "Open your eyes, Calpurnianus, and consider my face. Recognize me well, so that you may discern me on the terrible day of the Last Judgment. We shall both appear there before Jesus Christ, our common Lord; I, for the reward of the torments I endure; you, for the punishment of your inhumanity toward the Christians."

Many of those present, hearing these words so firm and so generous, recognized the truth of our religion and detested idolatry. As for the executioners, wishing to silence this virgin, ever constant, ever invincible, and to carry out the final article of her sentence upon her, they covered her with burning coals to finish consuming her. Then she opened her sacred mouth as if to swallow the flame, and, at the same time, one saw her soul emerge in the figure of a dove which flew off toward heaven.

The tyrant ordered that her body be left for three days exposed to the insults of the pagans; but divine Providence suddenly covered it with snow, which cleansed it, whitened it, and gave it a marvelous beauty; it was then buried with great honor in Mérida by the Christians. Since then, it has been transported to Oviedo, and it is Oviedo Place where the saint's body was subsequently transported. seen in the great church, in a chapel dedicated to her. It is carried in procession during public necessities, and great aid is then received through the power of her intercession with God.

Saint Eulalia of Mérida is represented: 1° torn on the rack and exposed to the flame of torches; 2° exhaling her soul in the form of a dove; 3° in the company of Saint Julia, h er companion sainte Julie Companion in faith and martyrdom of Eulalia. in martyrdom; 4° with her body covered in abundant snow. This account is by Father Giry; we ha ve supple Père Giry French hagiographer, author of the version of the narrative presented. mented it with the Characteristic s of the Saints by the Reve Caractéristiques des Saints Work by Father Cahier supplementing the narrative. rend Father Cahier.