Perpetua and Felicity facts for kids

Perpetua and Felicity (also known as Felicitas) were early Christian women who died for their faith in the 3rd century. They are remembered as Christian martyrs. Perpetua was a young, well-educated noblewoman, about 22 years old. She was a new mother with an infant son. Felicity was an enslaved woman who was pregnant when they were arrested. They were put to death in Carthage, which was then part of the Roman province of Africa (today it's in Tunisia).

Their Story: The Passion of Perpetua and Felicity

The story of Perpetua and Felicity's death is told in a special ancient text called The Passion of Perpetua and Felicity. This writing describes what happened to them. According to this story, five people were arrested and later executed. This happened during military games held to celebrate the Roman Emperor Septimius Severus's birthday.

Besides Felicity and Perpetua, two free men named Saturninus and Secundulus were arrested. An enslaved man named Revocatus was also arrested. All of them were catechumens. This means they were Christians who were learning about the faith but had not yet been baptized. Another man, Saturus, later joined them. He bravely told the authorities that he was also a Christian.

Perpetua herself wrote a part of this story. She kept a diary while she was in prison. Her personal writings were added to the Passion after she died.

Life in Prison

Perpetua's diary begins by describing a disagreement with her father. He wanted her to give up her Christian beliefs. But Perpetua refused to change her mind. She was soon baptized before being taken to prison.

Perpetua wrote about her time in the prison in Carthage. She described the difficult conditions she faced. She suffered from the heat and the harsh treatment from the prison guards. She also felt pain because she could not regularly breastfeed her baby.

Later, the prison conditions got a little better. Perpetua was able to bribe the guards. This allowed her and the other Christians to move to a different part of the prison. She was also able to be with her infant son again. Being able to breastfeed her child helped ease her physical pain.

While in prison, Perpetua had several visions or dreams. Her brother encouraged her to ask for a vision. In one dream, she saw herself climbing a dangerous ladder. This ladder had many weapons attached to it. At the bottom of the ladder was a snake. Saturus faced the snake first, and then Perpetua did. The snake did not harm her. She then climbed to a beautiful garden. After this dream, Perpetua understood that she and the others would suffer for their faith.

The day before she died, Perpetua had another vision. She dreamed she defeated a wild Egyptian man. She believed this meant she would have to fight not just wild animals, but the Devil himself.

Honoring Saints Perpetua and Felicity

Saints Felicity and Perpetua are highly honored in many Christian churches. In Carthage, a large church called the Basilica Maiorum was built over their tomb. An old inscription with their names has been found there.

These two saints are remembered by name in the Roman Canon of the Mass. This is a very important prayer in the Catholic Church.

Their feast day is March 7. This day was celebrated across the Roman Empire long ago. It was even listed in the Philocalian Calendar, a 4th-century list of martyrs honored in Rome. Over time, the date of their celebration changed a few times in some calendars. For example, in 1908, Pope Pius X moved their feast day to March 6. But in 1969, their traditional date of March 7 was restored in the Roman Catholic Church.

Other churches also remember them on March 7. These include the Lutheran Church and the Episcopal Church. The Eastern Orthodox Church celebrates the feast day of Saints Perpetua and her companions on February 1.

Images for kids

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  Mosaic of Saint Perpetua, Euphrasian Basilica, Poreč, Croatia

See also

• Domnina, Berenice, and Prosdoce
• List of Christian women of the patristic age