Saint Quiteria – Virgin Martyr and Patroness Against Rabies

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Saint Quiteria was a 2nd-century virgin martyr from Braga, Portugal. Born into a noble family, she and her eight sisters were ordered to be drowned by their mother due to the unusual birth of nonuplets. Rescued and raised by Christians, they opposed Roman paganism. Quiteria was eventually captured and beheaded in Aire-sur-l'Adour, France. She is invoked against rabies and is often depicted with a dog on a lead, symbolizing her legendary ability to calm rabid dogs with her voice.

Saint Quiteria was a second-century virgin martyr whose life is enveloped in legend. She is believed to have been born in Bracara (modern-day Braga, Portugal) to Lucius Catilius Serves, the Roman governor of Gallaecia and Lusitania, and his wife Calcia. According to tradition, Calcia gave birth to nine daughters in a single delivery. Distressed by the unusual birth, she ordered the infants to be drowned. However, a Christian maid disobeyed and secretly raised the girls, who were later recognized by their father. The sisters refused to renounce their Christian faith and were subsequently imprisoned. After escaping, they engaged in acts of resistance against Roman paganism. Saint Quiteria was eventually captured and beheaded near Aire-sur-l'Adour in Gascony, France, where she is believed to be buried.

Her cult spread across southwestern Europe, particularly in Portugal, Spain, and France. In Kuthenkuly, a coastal village in Tamil Nadu, India, a shrine dedicated to Saint Quiteria attracts thousands of pilgrims, with a Tamil-language manuscript of her hagiography preserved there.

Numerous miracles have been attributed to Saint Quiteria. In Kuthenkuly, for instance, a local man prayed to her for an heir, and upon the birth of his son, a chapel was built in her honor. Additionally, during a plague, villagers prayed to her and were reportedly saved from the disease.

The church of Sainte-Quitterie in Aire-sur-l'Adour, France, houses her relics and has been a significant pilgrimage site since the Middle Ages. The Via Podiensis, part of the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela, passes through this town, further cementing her status as a patron saint of travelers.

Saint Quiteria's feast day is celebrated on May 22, honoring her steadfast faith and the enduring legacy of her martyrdom.

Feast Day

22-5-

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Died Date

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Aire-sur-l'Adour, France

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