Sts. Rufina

Sts. Rufina

The present Roman Martyrology records saints of this name on the following days:

(1) On 10 July, Rufina and Secunda, Roman martyrs, who according to the legendary Acts (Acta SS., July, III, 30-1) suffered in 287 during the Aurelian persecution. Their place of burial was at the ninth milestone of the Via Cornelia, as is stated in the Berne manuscript of the "Martyrologium Hieronymianum" (ed. De Rossi-Duchesne, 89). These martyrs are also recorded in the Itineraries of the seventh century as on the road just mentioned (De Rossi, "Roma sotterranea", I, 18283). Pope Damasus erected a church over the grave of the saints. The town on this spot named after St. Rufina became the see of one of the suburbicarian dioceses that was later united with Porto (cf. Allard, "Histoire des Persécutions":, III, 96).

(2) On 19 July, Justa and Rufina, martyrs at Seville (Hispalis) in Spain. Only St. Justa is mentioned in the "Martyrologium Hieronymianum" (93), but in the historical martyrologies (Quentin, "Les martyrologes historiques", 176-77) Justina is also mentioned, following the legendary Acts. There is no doubt that both are historical martyrs of the Spanish Church.

(3) On 31 August, Theodotus, Rufina, and Ammia, of who the first two are said to be the parents of the celebrated martyr Mamas (Mammes), venerated at Cæsarea in Cappadocia (cf. the various Passions of these saints in the "Bibl. hagiographica latina", II, 771 sq., and in the "Bibl. hagiogr. græca", 2nd ed., 143).

(4) On 24 of 25 August, the feast of two martyrs, Rufina and Eutyche, at Cupua in Campania is recorded in the "Martyrologium Hieronymianum" (110). Nothing further is known of either of these saints.

J.P. KIRSCH