Saint Petronilla: Difference between revisions

'''Saint Petronilla''' (d. end of 1st century or possibly 3rd century), also known as Aurelia Petronilla, was an early Christian [[Saints|saint]] venerated as a virgin and possibly a martyr in [[Rome]], [[Italy]]. Traditionally identified as the daughter of St. Peter, modern scholarship suggests she was likely a convert or follower, possibly his “spiritual daughter,” due to name similarities and her burial in the Catacomb of Domitilla. She may have been cured of palsy by Peter and was likely related to the Aurelii family, possibly through the Christian Flavii. Her tomb inscriptions and a 4th-century painting confirm her veneration as a martyr, though legends suggest she died naturally after a hunger strike to avoid marriage to a pagan king, Flaccus. Her relics, translated to [[St. Peter’s Basilica]] in 757, are housed in a chapel dedicated to her. Canonized through pre-Congregation processes, her feast day is [[May 31]].<ref name="CatholicEncyclopedia">{{cite web |title=St. Petronilla |url=https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11781b.htm |website=Catholic Encyclopedia |publisher=New Advent |access-date=2025-05-12}}</ref><ref name="Wikipedia">{{cite web |title=Petronilla |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petronilla |website=Wikipedia |publisher=Wikimedia Foundation |access-date=2025-05-12}}</ref>[](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Petronilla)[](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Petronilla)

Petronilla is patroness of the dauphins of France, due to a dolphin reportedly carved on her sarcophagus, and of mountain travelers and treaties between Popes and Frankish emperors. Her cult, strong in [[Rome]] and France, is marked by a May 31 Mass at St. Peter’s for French residents. Recent posts on X highlight her relics, including her skull in a reliquary, and her depiction in art, such as Guercino’s 1623 altarpiece.<ref name="CatholicSaints">{{cite web |title=Saint Petronilla of Rome |url=https://catholicsaints.info/saint-petronilla-of-rome/ |website=CatholicSaints.Info |publisher=CatholicSaints.Info |access-date=2025-05-12}}</ref><ref name="Anastpaul">{{cite web |title=Saint of the Day – 31 May – St Petronilla |url=https://anastpaul.com/2023/05/31/saint-of-the-day-31-may-st-petronilla-1st-century-virgin-martyr/ |website=Anastpaul |publisher=Anastpaul |access-date=2025-05-12 |date=2023-05-31}}</ref>[](https://anastpaul.com/2023/05/31/saint-of-the-day-31-may-st-petronilla-1st-century-virgin-martyr/)[](https://x.com/VeroLinaresC/status/1002179032732102657)

Saint Petronilla’s birth date and details are unknown, but she was likely born in [[Rome]], [[Italy]], in the 1st or possibly 3rd century. She may have belonged to the Aurelii, a Roman senatorial family, possibly linked to the Christian Flavii through Flavia Domitilla.<ref name="CatholicEncyclopedia" /><ref name="Wikipedia" />[](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Petronilla)

Little is known of Petronilla’s early life. Traditionally considered St. Peter’s daughter, she is more likely a convert or follower, possibly cured of palsy by him. Legends claim her beauty led Peter to lock her in a tower to protect her from suitors, a story now deemed apocryphal. Her connection to the Flavian Domitilla suggests a noble Christian lineage.<ref name="CatholicSaints" /><ref name="Sanctoral">{{cite web |title=Saint Petronilla, Virgin |url=https://sanctoral.com/en/saints/31_may.html |website=Sanctoral |publisher=Sanctoral |access-date=2025-05-12 |date=2024-05-30}}</ref>[](https://sanctoral.com/en/saints/saint_petronilla.html)

Petronilla had no formal occupation but was venerated for her Christian devotion. As a virgin, she dedicated herself to prayer and charity, possibly serving the early Church. Her association with hospitality in art suggests she aided pilgrims or the poor. Legends describe her rejecting a marriage proposal from a pagan king, Flaccus, leading to her death.<ref name="Anastpaul" /><ref name="CatholicOnline">{{cite web |title=St. Petronilla |url=https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=1496 |website=Catholic Online |publisher=Catholic Online |access-date=2025-05-12}}</ref>[](https://catholicsaints.day/petronilla/)

Petronilla’s vocation was her commitment to virginity and faith, possibly as a martyr. Early inscriptions label her “Petronilla Mart.,” indicating martyrdom, though later stories claim she died naturally after fasting to preserve her chastity. Her spiritual connection to St. Peter, symbolized by keys in art, underscores her role in the early Church.<ref name="Wikipedia" /><ref name="SaintForAMinute">{{cite web |title=Saint Petronilla of Rome |url=https://www.saintforaminute.com/saints/saint_petronilla_of_rome |website=SaintForAMinute |publisher=SaintForAMinute |access-date=2025-05-12}}</ref>[](https://www.saintforaminute.com/saints/saint_petronilla_of_rome)

Saint Petronilla died in [[Rome]] at the end of the 1st or possibly 3rd century, either martyred or naturally after a hunger strike. One legend claims she fasted for three days to avoid marrying Flaccus, dying peacefully after receiving the Eucharist. Inscriptions suggest martyrdom, possibly during Domitian’s persecution. Her relics were translated from the Catacomb of Domitilla to [[St. Peter’s Basilica]] in 757.<ref name="CatholicEncyclopedia" /><ref name="IndCatholic">{{cite web |title=St Petronilla |url=https://www.indcatholicnews.com/saint/155 |website=Independent Catholic News |publisher=Independent Catholic News |access-date=2025-05-12 |date=2024-05-30}}</ref>[](https://www.indcatholicnews.com/saint/161)

* Guercino’s altarpiece, *The Burial of St. Petronilla*, painted for St. Peter’s, 1623.<ref name="CatholicEncyclopedia" /><ref name="Wikipedia" />[](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Burial_of_St._Petronilla)

The process to recognize Saint Petronilla as a Servant of God is undocumented, as her veneration predates modern canonization. Her 4th-century tomb painting and inscriptions confirm early devotion in [[Rome]].<ref name="CatholicEncyclopedia" />[](https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11781b.htm)

Petronilla was not formally declared Venerable, as her sainthood emerged through pre-Congregation practices. Her cult grew in the Catacomb of Domitilla, supported by 6th- and 7th-century martyr lists.<ref name="Wikipedia" />[](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Petronilla)

No distinct beatification process is recorded, as her sainthood relied on popular devotion. Her tomb in the Via Ardeatina and a basilica built by Pope Siricius (384–399) solidified her veneration.<ref name="Anastpaul" />[](https://anastpaul.com/2023/05/31/saint-of-the-day-31-may-st-petronilla-1st-century-virgin-martyr/)

Saint Petronilla was recognized as a saint through pre-Congregation processes, without a formal canonization date or canonizer. Her feast day, [[May 31]], appears in the Roman Martyrology, with some regions using June 15.<ref name="CatholicEncyclopedia" /><ref name="CatholicOnline" />[](https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=1034)

No specific miracles are documented for Petronilla’s canonization, as her sainthood was based on martyrdom or virginity. Her curing of palsy by St. Peter is a legendary providential act.<ref name="SaintForAMinute" />[](https://www.saintforaminute.com/saints/saint_petronilla_of_rome)

* Cured of palsy by St. Peter, per apocryphal accounts.<ref name="CatholicSaints" />[](https://catholicsaints.info/saint-petronilla/)

Saint Petronilla is the patroness of the dauphins of France (due to a dolphin on her sarcophagus), mountain travelers, treaties between Popes and Frankish emperors, and against fever.<ref name="Anastpaul" />[](https://anastpaul.com/2023/05/31/saint-of-the-day-31-may-st-petronilla-1st-century-virgin-martyr/)

Her feast day is celebrated on [[May 31]] in the [[Roman Catholic]] Church, with Mass at St. Peter’s offered for France. Some regions use June 15.<ref name="Wikipedia" />[](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Petronilla)

Saint Petronilla is venerated through prayers and pilgrimages to her chapel in [[St. Peter’s Basilica]], where her relics, including her skull in a reliquary, reside. Her image, often with keys, a broom, or a dolphin, appears in art, such as Guercino’s *The Burial of St. Petronilla* (1623) and Lorenzetti’s altarpiece (1340s). French monarchs, including Charlemagne, considered her a sister, tying her to France’s royal patronage. Recent posts on X note her depiction in English church art, like the Somerleyton screen, and her relics’ display during feast day Masses.<ref name="CatholicOnline" /><ref name="NewLiturgical">{{cite web |title=The Feast of St Petronilla |url=https://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2022/05/the-feast-of-st-petronilla.html |website=New Liturgical Movement |publisher=New Liturgical Movement |access-date=2025-05-12 |date=2022-05-31}}</ref>[](https://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2022/05/the-feast-of-st-petronilla.html)[](https://x.com/SimoninSuffolk/status/1663795050092920832)[](https://x.com/VeroLinaresC/status/1002179032732102657)

* [https://www.amazon.com/Lives-Saints-Vol-VI/dp/B0006C7Z8H Lives of the Saints, Vol. VI by Alban Butler]<ref name="Sanctoral" />[](https://sanctoral.com/en/saints/saint_petronilla.html)

* [https://www.amazon.com/Garner-Saints-Allen-Banks-Hinds/dp/1417942398 A Garner of Saints by Allen Banks Hinds]<ref name="CatholicSaints" />[](https://catholicsaints.info/saint-petronilla/)

* [https://www.amazon.com/Golden-Legend-Readings-Saints/dp/0691154074 The Golden Legend: Readings on the Saints by Jacobus de Voragine]<ref name="CatholicOnline" />[](https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=1034)