St. Margaret of Antioch
Feast day | April 21 |
Birth | 1033 |
Death | 1109 |
St. Margaret of Antioch, also known as St. Marina in the Eastern tradition, is a revered virgin martyr from the 3rd or 4th century¹². She is celebrated on July 20th in Western Christianity and on July 17th in Eastern Christianity¹².
Margaret was the daughter of a pagan priest in Antioch (modern-day Turkey). After converting to Christianity, she was disowned by her father and faced severe persecution. One of the most famous legends about her involves being swallowed by a dragon, from which she miraculously escaped unharmed¹². This story symbolizes her triumph over evil and is why she is often depicted with a dragon in Christian art¹.
She is one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers, a group of saints invoked in medieval times for their powerful intercession². St. Margaret is particularly venerated as the patron saint of pregnant women and those in childbirth².
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