Sts. Perpetua and Felicity
Martyrs of Carthage
Feast Day: March 7
Biography
Sts. Perpetua and Felicity were martyred together in the Roman amphitheater at Carthage, North Africa, on March 7, 203 AD. Perpetua was a well-educated noblewoman and young mother; Felicity was her slave, who was pregnant at the time of their arrest. Perpetua kept a diary during her imprisonment — one of the earliest surviving writings by a Christian woman — recording her visions, her anguish at being separated from her nursing infant, and her father's desperate pleas for her to recant. Felicity gave birth in prison just days before their execution. Together they were thrown to wild animals and then killed by the sword. Their unity across social class — mistress and slave dying side by side for Christ — powerfully demonstrates the radical equality of all believers.
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Symbols
Prayer
Sts. Perpetua and Felicity, you gave everything for Christ. Grant me even a fraction of your courage and help me to stand firm in my faith. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Asking for Intercession
Catholics ask saints to pray with us and for us, as we ask friends on earth. Sts. Perpetua and Felicity, who lives in God's presence, intercedes before His throne. Speak from your heart: “Sts. Perpetua and Felicity, please pray for me…” You may also pray the prayer above or include this intention in your Rosary.