The origin and provenance of the legend of Saint Dorothy, one of the
“quattuor virgines capitales,” are obscure. A patroness of brides, newly­
weds, midwives, florists, and also miners and brewers, Saint Dorothy is
believed to have suffered martyrdom during the Diocletian persecutions on
6 February 287 or 304 at Caesarea in Cappadocia. Her body is believed
to repose in the church which bears her name in Trastevere in Rome, al­though also other churches, notably those of Bologna and Cologne,
claimed to possess her relics. Only her name and martyrdom have been
historically verified, however. There are no historical details of her life; her
surviving acts are legendary.
Unknown in Greek tradition, Saint Dorothy has in the West been ven­erated since the seventh century, and her feastday ( dies natalis , that is,
[heavenly] birthday) on 6 February has been celebrated since the eleventh
century. According to the oldest breviaries, her feastday was celebrated with three lectiones . Early signs of the suppression of
her feast are, however, evident from a decretal issued on 18 May 1854 by
Pope Pius IX (1792-1878), in which 6 February is associated with Saint
Titus. In the new Roman Calendar published in 1969 after the Second
Vatican Council (1962-1965), her feast was expunged.

Memory of the World Librarian: Quintus

2025-02-18