Saint Leticia

Infobox Saint
name=Saint Leticia
birth_date=Unknown
death_date=Unknown
feast_day=March 13
venerated_in=


imagesize=200px
caption=Bust of Saint Leticia, Ayerbe, Spain
birth_place=
death_place=
titles=Martyr
beatified_date=
beatified_place=
beatified_by=
canonized_date=
canonized_place=
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patronage=Ayerbe
major_shrine=
suppressed_date=
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Saint Leticia (Latin, Laetitia; it icon Letizia), whose feast day is October 21, is venerated as a virgin martyr. A saint with the same name had a feast day occurring on March 13. Her cult was diffused in Corsica ("Letizia" was the name of Napoleon's mother) and can be found in medieval England (Saint Letycie, Lititia). A center of her cult in Spain is the Aragonese town of Ayerbe. [it icon http://www.santiebeati.it/dettaglio/90222 Santa Letizia]

The Fiesta of Saint Leticia takes place around September 9th and lasts for four to six days. A sculpture of the Saint is carried in procession, its pedestal garlanded with grapes; figures of giants and "cabezudos" (figures with gigantic heads) parade in the streets and pyrotechnic figures of bulls race through the town every night.

The marriage of Letizia Ortiz to Felipe, Prince of Asturias is said to have sparked new interest in the cult of this saint. [ [http://www.antonioburgos.com/mundo/2003/11/re110803.html La Letiziamanía que viene ] ]

Relics

Leticia's relics can be found in Ayerbe in a reliquary of engraved silver dating from the 16th century. There is a small opening, which worshippers kiss. The reliquary was a gift from Don Pedro Forcada, a native of Ayerbe, who served as a canon of the cathedral of Tarazona. Thus, the reliquary features the coat-of-arms of the Forcada family.

Gallery

ee also

*Fiestas de Santa Leticia

Notes