St. Margaret of Antioch

St. Margaret of Antioch — known in the Eastern tradition as St. Marina — has been honoured for centuries as a virgin martyr. Her traditional life tells of a young Christian who refused the governor Olybrius, endured imprisonment and torture, and met the devil in the image of a dragon. The details come through a late devotional account rather than a contemporary record; its enduring heart is clear: Margaret chose fidelity to Christ rather than surrender.

Her veneration spread early and widely. She is numbered among the Fourteen Holy Helpers, and her name was one of the three — with St. Michael and St. Catherine of Alexandria — that St. Joan of Arc said she heard during her trial at Rouen. Christians in both East and West have kept her memory as a witness of courage, purity, and steadfast faith.

The dragon in St. Margaret's story is a spiritual image of evil's apparent power. Her deliverance recalls that nothing can finally swallow a soul kept in Christ. Her feast invites us to ask for courage when fidelity is costly, purity of heart, and trust in Christ's victory over every fear.