Susanna the Deaconess

Susanna the Deaconess was a deaconess, saint and martyr who supposedly lived in Palestine in the 4th century. According to her hagiography, she chose to devote herself entirely to the Christian faith by dressing as a man and joining a male monastery under the name "John". There, she led a pious life until she was discovered following false accusations of rape within the monastery.

Susanna was later appointed as a deaconess by the bishop of Eleutheropolis. Finally, she suffered martyrdom under grim circumstances in the early 4th century in this city. She is commemorated on 15 December in the Eastern Orthodox Church.

Biography According to the hagiographical accounts about her, Susanna was born in Palestine during the reign of emperor Maximian (286–305). Her mother, Martha, is said to have been Hebrew, while her father was reportedly a Greek polytheistic priest named Artemios. She is said to have been pious from a young age and to have converted willingly, being catechized and then baptized by a priest named Silvanos. Her memory is commemorated on 15 December in the Eastern Orthodox Church.