- Saint Silvia
Infobox Saint
name= Saint Silvia
birth_date=~515 AD
death_date=~592 AD
feast_day=3 November
venerated_in=Roman Catholic Church
imagesize= 250px
caption=
birth_place= Rome or Sicily
death_place=
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beatified_place=
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canonized_date=
canonized_place=
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patronage=invoked by pregnant women for a safe delivery
major_shrine=
suppressed_date=
issues=Saint Silvia (Sylvia) (c. 515 - c. 592) was the mother of
St. Gregory the Great ; she had another son but his name did not survive through the ages. She is also venerated as asaint by theCatholic Church . Two of her relatives, sisters-in-lawTrasilla and Emiliana , are also venerated as saints, as well as her other sister-in-law Gordiana, and her husband Gordianus.Little biographical information about her exists. Her native place is sometimes given as
Sicily , sometimes asRome . Apparently she was of as distinguished family as her husband, the Roman "regionarius", Gordianus. She had, besides Gregory, a second son.Silvia was noted for her great
piety , and she gave her sons an excellent education. After the death of her husband she devoted herself entirely to religion in the "new cell by the gate of blessed Paul" ("cella nova juxta portam beati Pauli"). Gregory the Great had amosaic portrait of his parents executed at the monastery of St. Andrew; it is minutely described by Johannes Diaconus ("P.L.," LXXV, 229-30). Silvia was portrayed sitting with the face, in which thewrinkles of age could not hide the beauty, in full view; the eyes were large and blue, and the expression was gracious and animated.Veneration
The veneration of St. Silvia is of early date.
Silvia had built a
chapel in her house. In 645, the monks from themonastery ofMar Saba (Palestine ) settled in this house, and devoted it to the celebration ofSt. Sabas . In the ninth century an oratory was erected over her former dwelling, near theBasilica of San Saba .Pope Clement VIII (1592-1605) inserted her name under3 November in the Roman Martyrology. She is invoked bypregnant women for a safe delivery.External links
* [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13794a.htm St. Silvia] at the
Catholic Encyclopedia
*it icon [http://www.santiebeati.it/dettaglio/76050 Santa Silvia]
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