There is certainly not a lot of historical information on Thecla or Macrina, that is not within the Church itself. For myself however, I would be willing to trust Eusebius (260 - 339) at least in the sense that he set out in his time to do a historical study of the Church, and he was a scholar for that era.
We possess historically accurate accounts of the martyrdom of a Christian of Gaza in Palestine named Thecla. According to Eusebius ("De martyribus Palestinen.", 3) she was condemned to death in the second year of the great persecution (304-05) together with a Christian named Agapius and was torn to pieces in a horrible manner by the wild beasts to which she was thrown. The present Roman Martyrology gives the feast of this saint under the date of 19 August.
Marc, Indeed if we measured this only from the 2nd to the 3rd century, for the Mothers of the Faith? Thecla might be my choice! I have always liked reading The Acts of Paul and Thecla, since I discovered this years back reading and studying Tertullian. Though I know this is within the NT apocryphal, itself.
Btw, Brigid of Kildare is also simply just St. Brigid of Ireland for Catholics. But she is also venerated by the EO or Eastern Orthodoxy, as she was before the great schism. Wow, Macrina the Younger is out in the lead! :)
Awe, you would have an Irish woman on the list, so there goes my vote. But a close second in this list would be Macrina. But my personal favorite in the literary sense would be Julian of Norwich!
There is certainly not a lot of historical information on Thecla or Macrina, that is not within the Church itself. For myself however, I would be willing to trust Eusebius (260 - 339) at least in the sense that he set out in his time to do a historical study of the Church, and he was a scholar for that era.
I found this of note..
We possess historically accurate accounts of the martyrdom of a Christian of Gaza in Palestine named Thecla. According to Eusebius ("De martyribus Palestinen.", 3) she was condemned to death in the second year of the great persecution (304-05) together with a Christian named Agapius and was torn to pieces in a horrible manner by the wild beasts to which she was thrown. The present Roman Martyrology gives the feast of this saint under the date of 19 August.
Marc, Indeed if we measured this only from the 2nd to the 3rd century, for the Mothers of the Faith? Thecla might be my choice! I have always liked reading The Acts of Paul and Thecla, since I discovered this years back reading and studying Tertullian. Though I know this is within the NT apocryphal, itself.
Wow, again! I spoke too soon, here comes Bridid of Kildare! But perhaps we have not heard the last from Thecla?
Btw, Brigid of Kildare is also simply just St. Brigid of Ireland for Catholics. But she is also venerated by the EO or Eastern Orthodoxy, as she was before the great schism. Wow, Macrina the Younger is out in the lead! :)
Awe, you would have an Irish woman on the list, so there goes my vote. But a close second in this list would be Macrina. But my personal favorite in the literary sense would be Julian of Norwich!
http://www.luminarium.org/medlit/julian.htm