Today the Church celebrates the memorial of Saint Euphemia of Chalcedon, a virgin and martyr who lived between the 3rd and 4th centuries. A young Christian of noble origins, Euphemia suffered martyrdom during the fierce persecution of the Emperor Diocletian in the Asian city of Chalcedon, opposite Byzantium. Subjected to terrible tortures, which she faced with unwavering faith and admirable courage, the Saint never denied the name of Christ, ending her earthly life in the amphitheater, torn apart by wild beasts. Her testimony and the blood shed for the Gospel left an indelible mark on the Christian community of the time. On the site of her burial, a magnificent basilica was built, destined to go down in history not only as a place of pilgrimage but also as the seat, in 451, of the famous Ecumenical Council of Chalcedon, the fourth ecumenical council of the Catholic Church, during which the doctrine of the two natures, divine and human, in Christ was solemnly defined. Still today, Saint Euphemia remains a shining beacon of fidelity to Christ and a symbol of how the courage of the little ones can change the history of the Church.
