February 13
Saint Fusca of Ravenna
Virgin, Martyr
(Around 235 – Around 250)
“We are Christians.”
Saint Fusca of Ravenna
Click here for the Amazon page
or on the Book Cover Image above to buy it!
Click here for the Amazon page
or on the Book Cover Image above to buy it!
Click here for the Amazon page
or on the Book Cover Image above to Buy it!
Saint’s Life Story
Her Early Life
Fusca, also known as Fosca, was born around 235 in Ravenna, Italy to her father Sirio. She was born in to a noble pagan family. Little else is known of her early childhood.
Nurse Maura
From a young age, Fusca showed an unusual devotion to the teachings of Christ, which placed her in direct conflict with the pagan culture dominant at the time. Her parents adhered to Roman religious customs and were opposed to her interest in Christianity. It is said that her decision to embrace the new faith was inspired and nurtured by her faithful nurse, Maura, who herself was a Christian convert.
Baptized
At the age of fifteen, Fusca revealed to her nursemaid, Saint Maura, her desire to be a Christian. So, they both went secretly to a priest, named Hermolaos or Girolamo, taught them about them the Christian Faith. Continuing their profound conversion to Christianity, they were both baptized. This spiritual transformation marked the beginning of her deep commitment to the Christian faith. The bond between Fusca and Maura was one of deep spiritual kinship. Together, they committed themselves fully to the path of discipleship.
Locked Up By Her Dad
During the persecutions led by the Roman Emperor Decius, Fusca faced immense pressure from her family to renounce her newfound beliefs. After her father, Sirio, heard of their baptism, he locked away Fusca without food for three days. Then, he sent many women to try to talk some sense into to reconvert back to the Roman gods. All efforts were in vain.
In his rage, Sirio was at the point of wanting to kill Fusca. However, Sirio was persuaded by Fusca’s mother. Instead, Sirio sacrificed to his gods in the hope that they would persuade her.
Arrested
When Fusca’s conversion became known, she and Maura were arrested and brought before the prefect of the city, Quintianus. (Note: This prefect is the same one by whom by whom Saint Agatha of Sicily was martyred.) When the soldiers came to bring Fusca in to see Quintianus, they saw her praying and a shining angel standing by her. So they were terrified.
Fusca and Maura declared in a loud voice – “We are Christians.”
As with many early Christian martyrs, they were given opportunities to recant their faith and return to the worship of the Roman gods. This defiance enraged the local magistrates. So, both she and Maura were both subjected to unimaginable torture and beatings and then sent to prison. Despite the immense suffering she endured, Fusca did not waver in her dedication to Christ. Even when she was ordered to sacrifice to idols, she courageously refused, adamantly professing her loyalty to her Christian beliefs.
Her Martyrdom
Ultimately, Fusca’s courageous stand for her faith resulted in her martyrdom. Fusca and Maura were both martyred by being stabbed to death by being pierced from side to side with a sword around the year 250 in Ravenna, Italy.
Her Relics
Their bodies were thrown into the sea or kidnapped by sailors and transported to ancient Tripolis (west of Tripoli) where they were buried in the caves near Sabratha, Libya. Then, in the 12th century, here relics were moved by a sailor named Vitale to the island of Torcello, in Venice, Italy, Here, where the former Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta is now consecrated as the church of Santa Fosca.
Born: Around 235 in Ravenna, Italy
Died: Around 250 in Ravenna, Italy
Beatified: Pre-Congregation
Canonized: Pre-Congregation
Feast Day: February 13
Patron Saint: Against Arthritis; Against Headaches; Against Rheumatism; Ravenna, Italy; Torcello, Italy
-
- A Dictionary Of Saintly Women, Volume 1 : Dunbar, Agnes Baillie Cunninghame – St Fosca
- St. Fusca of Ravenna – Young Martyr and Christian Saint – All Saint Stories
- CatholicSaints.Info » Saint Fusca of Ravenna
- Fusca (Foška) – Ecumenical Encyclopedia of Saints (translated from German)
- Saint Fusca of Ravenna – Saint for a Minute: Saints & Blesseds
- Fusca of Ravenna – Wikipedia
Reflection
Saint Fusca of Ravenna was only a young teenage girl when she encountered Christ so deeply that she refused to renounce Him, even under threat of violence. In an age when loyalty to Jesus could demand everything be taken away from you, her heart held a clarity and courage far beyond her years. She saw in Christ not a set of rules but a living love worth giving her life for.
Her steadfastness reminds us that the strength of faith is not measured by age, status, or power but by interior conviction. Fusca and her companion Maura shared a friendship rooted in holiness—a friendship that strengthened them both as they faced their trials. Their witness shows that even the smallest light, when rooted in God, can dispel great darkness.
Where in my life do I need to allow a childlike courage—simple, trusting, and unwavering—to guide my choices of faith, even when others do not understand or support me?
Prayers
Saint Fusca of Ravenna,
You were filled with a pure and fearless love for You.
Grant me the grace to grow in that same trust, a faith unclouded by fear, and a heart ready to follow You wherever You lead.
Through her example and intercession, may I stand firm in times of trial, cherish holy friendships, and walk in the light of Your truth.
May my faith be simple, brave, and steadfast.
Saint Fusca of Ravenna, pray for us! Amen.
Saint Links
Catholic Online – Sts. Fusca and Maura
CatholicSaints.Info – Saints of the Day – Fusca, Virgin, and Maura, Martyrs – by Katherine I Rabenstein
CatholicSaints.Info – Book of Saints – Fusca and Maura – by Monks of Ramsgate
Daily Compass – Saints Fusca and Maura, Martyrs
The Relics Hunter – The Relics of Sts Fusca and Maura
Video Link
The Story of Santa Fusca When The Truth Is Worth More Than Life 15-Year-Old Martyr – YouTube Video (Today in the history of sanctities)