Portal:Catholic Church/Patron Archive/July 29 2007

Simplicius, Faustinus and Beatrix (or Beatrice, Viatrix) were a group of Christian martyrs and saints at Rome during the Diocletian persecution (302 or 303).

The brothers Simplicius and Faustinus were cruelly tortured on account of their Christian faith, beaten with clubs, and finally beheaded; their bodies were thrown into the Tiber (according to another version a stone was tied to them and they were drowned). Their sister Beatrix had the bodies drawn out of the water and buried.

Then for seven months she lived with a pious woman named Lucina, and together they secretly helped persecuted Christians. Finally she was discovered and arrested. Her accuser was her neighbor Lucretius who desired to obtain possession of her lands. She asserted before the judge that she would never sacrifice to demons, because she was a Christian. As punishment, she was strangled in prison. Her friend Lucina buried her with her brothers in the cemetery ad Ursum Pileatum on the road to Porto.

Divine punishment soon overtook the accuser Lucretius, who at a feast was mocking the folly of the martyrs. A small child cried out, "Thou hast committed murder and hast taken unjust possession of land. Thou art a slave of the devil", who at once took possession of him and tortured him three hours and drew him down into the bottomless pit. The terror of those present was so great that they became Christians.
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