Stories & Legends
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St. Quiteria Wins the Palm of Martyrdom
In the second century Lucius Cathelius Severus was governor of the ancient and beautiful city of Balcagia, today Braga in Portugal. His wife Chalsia and he were both pagans and enemies of the Catholic Faith.
Now it happened that Chalsia, while her husband was on a campaign, had in a single birth nine daughters. Embarrassed of this extraordinary happening, she gave the nine newborn infants to the midwife Sila and ordered her to throw them into the river of the Ramallosa.
The midwife took the babies, but moved by compassion for those unhappy creatures, left the girls in the care of certain Catholic woman in a nearby village. This good woman baptized them with the names of Librada, Victoria, Marina, Germana, Euphemia, Martiana, Genibera, Basilia and Quiteria, who was the lastborn. They were educated in the Catholic Faith and in the fear of God and the nine sisters offered their virginity to the Lord.
In the second century a persecution against Catholics extended even to Balcagia. The pagans denounced the holy virgins, who were arrested and brought before the presence of Lucius Cathelius. He threatened them with torments if they continued to confess the Catholic Faith, but they did not waver in the face of the threats and answered firmly that they preferred death a thousand times than to abandon the Faith of Christ.
Cathelius, impressed by the strength of the “Nonuplet Sisters” and finding in them a strange resemblance to his wife, inquired about their origin. Calling Chalsia, she confessed that they were indeed his daughters.
With strong arguments he tried to convince them to sacrifice to the gods; with her tears, Chalsia also tried to persuade them, but they did not waver in their resolve. Finally, Cathelius, enraged, granted them one day to decide to worship the idols or to die. That night in the prison an Angel came to release them and each one escaped from the city on a different path.
Quiteria withdrew to the solitude of a mountain, where she converted many of the people around the area. When she was captured a second time, she was brought again before her father, who sought to persuade her to marry, presenting the noble and wealthy Roman officer Germanus.
The virgin replied: “My father, I cannot give myself to a husband on earth, for I already have a Spouse who is the King of Heaven. He is Christ Jesus, whom I love with all my heart and He loves me so much that He gave His life for me.”
Greatly angered, the father warned Germanus of his daughter’s words and told him that to avenge such a wrong, he should cut off her head. But again, Quiteria managed to escape, leaving at night. Again, her father sent out soldiers with Germanus at their head to find her and serve the cruel punishment. She took refuge in the outskirts of Aire-sur-l'Adour in Gascony where the Angel had told her that she would receive the Palm of Martyrdom.
When Germanus entered the area, she hid in the hollow of a tree, but a shepherd revealed her whereabouts to the soldiers, saying nothing but pointing his finger to the tree. Then, Germanus discovered Quiteria and ordered her head to be severed immediately.
Quiteria prayed to the Lord, saying: “Receive my soul, O Lord. Deliver from diseases those who ask my patronage.” And a voice from Heaven answered her: “God has granted you this that you have asked in your martyrdom.”
The Saint knelt on the ground, fixed her heart on Heaven and delivered her neck to the knife. Miracles happened as her soul flew to Heaven. The poor shepherd was bit and wounded by his two dogs, who went mad and attacked him in rage after he had revealed Quiteria’s hiding place. The shepherd was cured when he washed his wounds in a fountain that had miraculously risen from the ground nearby after her martyrdom.
Then, to the astonishment of all, the Saint rose from the ground, picked up her severed head and walked seven leagues (21 miles) to a church in Aire-sur-l'Adour. There she was buried and pilgrims flocked there to ask for cures and miracles and for safety from mad dog bites.
Today, the church of Sainte-Quitterie iin Aire-sur-l'Adour, France, houses her relics and has been a significant pilgrimage site since the Middle Ages. The fountain of St. Quiteria is located near her tomb on the hill of Le Mas in Aire-sur-l’Adour.
The Via Podiensis, part of the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela, passes through this town, increasing her popularity in the Middle Ages and making her also a patron saint of travelers. Her Feast Day is May 22.
The Sanctuary of St. Quiteria in Felgueiras, Portugal, honors the Nonuplet Sisters - all martyred for their faith in the 2nd century
The midwife took the babies, but moved by compassion for those unhappy creatures, left the girls in the care of certain Catholic woman in a nearby village. This good woman baptized them with the names of Librada, Victoria, Marina, Germana, Euphemia, Martiana, Genibera, Basilia and Quiteria, who was the lastborn. They were educated in the Catholic Faith and in the fear of God and the nine sisters offered their virginity to the Lord.
In the second century a persecution against Catholics extended even to Balcagia. The pagans denounced the holy virgins, who were arrested and brought before the presence of Lucius Cathelius. He threatened them with torments if they continued to confess the Catholic Faith, but they did not waver in the face of the threats and answered firmly that they preferred death a thousand times than to abandon the Faith of Christ.
Cathelius, impressed by the strength of the “Nonuplet Sisters” and finding in them a strange resemblance to his wife, inquired about their origin. Calling Chalsia, she confessed that they were indeed his daughters.
With strong arguments he tried to convince them to sacrifice to the gods; with her tears, Chalsia also tried to persuade them, but they did not waver in their resolve. Finally, Cathelius, enraged, granted them one day to decide to worship the idols or to die. That night in the prison an Angel came to release them and each one escaped from the city on a different path.
Quiteria withdrew to the solitude of a mountain, where she converted many of the people around the area. When she was captured a second time, she was brought again before her father, who sought to persuade her to marry, presenting the noble and wealthy Roman officer Germanus.
The virgin replied: “My father, I cannot give myself to a husband on earth, for I already have a Spouse who is the King of Heaven. He is Christ Jesus, whom I love with all my heart and He loves me so much that He gave His life for me.”
Greatly angered, the father warned Germanus of his daughter’s words and told him that to avenge such a wrong, he should cut off her head. But again, Quiteria managed to escape, leaving at night. Again, her father sent out soldiers with Germanus at their head to find her and serve the cruel punishment. She took refuge in the outskirts of Aire-sur-l'Adour in Gascony where the Angel had told her that she would receive the Palm of Martyrdom.
When Germanus entered the area, she hid in the hollow of a tree, but a shepherd revealed her whereabouts to the soldiers, saying nothing but pointing his finger to the tree. Then, Germanus discovered Quiteria and ordered her head to be severed immediately.
Quiteria prayed to the Lord, saying: “Receive my soul, O Lord. Deliver from diseases those who ask my patronage.” And a voice from Heaven answered her: “God has granted you this that you have asked in your martyrdom.”
The Saint knelt on the ground, fixed her heart on Heaven and delivered her neck to the knife. Miracles happened as her soul flew to Heaven. The poor shepherd was bit and wounded by his two dogs, who went mad and attacked him in rage after he had revealed Quiteria’s hiding place. The shepherd was cured when he washed his wounds in a fountain that had miraculously risen from the ground nearby after her martyrdom.
Then, to the astonishment of all, the Saint rose from the ground, picked up her severed head and walked seven leagues (21 miles) to a church in Aire-sur-l'Adour. There she was buried and pilgrims flocked there to ask for cures and miracles and for safety from mad dog bites.
Today, the church of Sainte-Quitterie iin Aire-sur-l'Adour, France, houses her relics and has been a significant pilgrimage site since the Middle Ages. The fountain of St. Quiteria is located near her tomb on the hill of Le Mas in Aire-sur-l’Adour.
The Via Podiensis, part of the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela, passes through this town, increasing her popularity in the Middle Ages and making her also a patron saint of travelers. Her Feast Day is May 22.
Adapted from Leyendas de Galicia y Asturias
by Francisco Caudet Yarza, EDIMAT, 1998
Posted Septembere 5, 2026
by Francisco Caudet Yarza, EDIMAT, 1998
Posted Septembere 5, 2026
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