Gorgonia was the daughter of Saint Gregory of Nazianzus the Elder
and Saint Nonna. Her two brothers, Gregory and Caesarius, also became
saints. Much of what we know about Gorgonia seems to come from the
eulogy given at her funeral by her brother Gregory, in which he
extolls her modesty and virtue.
She was a housewife, and the mother of several children. Twice
during her life, she was miraculously cured of serious injuries or
illnesses. One of these incidents was the result of being trampled
by a team of mules, which caused broken bones and internal
bleeding. The other incident was an illness which manifested itself
with headaches, fever, paralysis, and coma. Both times, the
cure was attributed to the strength of her prayers
Her last words were said to have been "I will
lay me down in peace, and take my rest." She died of natural
causes around 375 A.D., at the age of 39, and is the patron saint
of illness and sick people (although after reading her eulogy I
have to wonder why she is not the patron saint of
housewives). Her feast day is December 9th.
Sources:
www.catholic.org
www.catholic-forum.com
www.ccel.org
www.oca.org
| 
