February 16 + Saint Juliana of Nicomedia

Juliana was born in 285 AD in Italy of a pagan father whom arranged to have her marry a nobleman but she refused to go through with the marriage unless he converted to Christianity. The nobleman refused and Juliana's father retaliated by abusing her until she changed her mind. Juliana continually stood unwavering and the nobleman who had arranged to wed her eventually grew impatient and called her before the tribunal to be martyred for her faith.

She was sent to prison and while there, she was subjected to a vision of a demon, pretending to be an angel of light, urging her to sacrifice to the pagan gods. Recognizing the deception, Juliana cried out, "Lord God of heaven and earth, do not desert me, nor permit your handmaid to perish." She vanquished the tempter, who admitted to her that the demons particularly suffer when Christians attend Mass.

Still reluctant to denounce her faith, she was tortured, burned, boiled in oil and finally beheaded. She was 19 years old.

Juliana has traditionally been invoked for the safe delivery of women in labor and for protection from fever and contagious diseases. She is the Patron Saint of sickness and bodily ills.