Leocadia

Leocadia

Saint Leocadia (French: Sainte Léocadie; Spanish: Santa Leocadia) is a Spanish saint. She is thought to have died on December 9, ca. 304, in the Diocletian persecution.

The feast day for St. Leocadia of Toledo appears under 9 December in the historical martyrologies of the ninth century. Her name is not mentioned by Prudentius in his hymn on the martyrs of Spain. However, in very early times there was a church dedicated to her at Toledo.

In the first half of the seventh century "the church of Saint Leocadia" was mentioned as the meeting-place of the Fourth Synod of Toledo in 633, as well as of the fifth in 636, and the sixth in 638.

Of her veneration, the Catholic Encyclopedia writes that "long before that date, therefore, Leocadia must have been publicly honoured as a martyr. The basilica in question was evidently erected over her grave. There is no doubt of the historical fact of her martyrdom, whilst the date of 9 December for her annual commemoration obviously rests on the tradition of the Church of Toledo. More recently compiled Acts relate that Leocadia was filled with a desire for martyrdom through the story of the martyrdom of St. Eulalia."

By order of the governor, Decianus, described in the martyrology as the most furious persecutor of the Christians in Spain, she was seized and cruelly tortured in order to make her apostatize, but she remained steadfast and was sent back to prison, where she died from the effects of the torture.

A church was built over her grave, besides which are two others at Toledo dedicated to her.