Venerable Xenia

Life

Xenia was born in Rome as the only daughter of a distinguished senator. Drawn by the love of Christ, she did not wish to enter into marriage, as her parents desired, but rather, to avoid this, fled from home secretly with her two maidservants, and came to the island of Kos, to the place of Milas, where she founded a virgin community, practicing asceticism there until her death. Although she was a weak woman, nevertheless she had manly endurance in fasting, prayer and vigil. Often she stood in prayer the whole night; she was dressed more poorly than all the sisters, and on the bread which she ate, she often sprinkled ashes from the censer. At the hour of her death (+ 450), a wondrous sign appeared over the virgin monastery: a wreath of stars with a cross in the center, brighter than the sun. From her relics many sick people received healing. Her maidservants followed in everything the example of their abbess, and when they died, they were buried, according to their wish, at the feet of blessed Xenia.

From the Hymn of Praise

Virgin Xenia, like Agnes,Or renowned Thecla or Anastasia,Would not bind herself to a perishable husbandBut found as bridegroom Christ the immortal.