ST. HILDA 381 prayed to the Viroin Mary, and the earth opened and swallowed them. The three rogues, terrified, became ancho- rites, and the three saints wronght so many miracles that Adbla (3), conntess of Flanders, built a nunnery on the spot, and in digging the foundations, the work- men found the bodies kneeling, in perfect preservation. Gynecseum. Stadler. St. Hesia, July 18 (Hkssa, Nbssa), M. in Africa. AA.SS. St. Hessa, Hbsia. St. Hesteria or Asteria, Aug. 10, V. M. 307. When St. Grata, princess of Ber- gamo, was a widow, she chose a holy virgin named Hesteria to be her com- panion. Duke Lupo, Grata's father, gave his daughter an estate, and Hesteria added her patrimony. They deyoted their lives and possessions to works of mercy and piety. When St. Alexander was martyred at Bergamo, Grata took up his head, and Hesteria gathered up his blood. After many years, Grata, who had succeeded her father in the sovereignty of Bergamo, found herself dying, and calling the chief men of the state to- gether, recommended them to take Hesteria for their ruler. They did so, notwithstanding her representation that she was not of royal birth, and therefore not fit to reign over people of their rank and importance. Two messengers were sent from the Emperor Diocletian to con- firm Hesteria in her new government. They praised her wisdom and goodness, and required her to inaugurate her reign by a sacrifice to Jupiter. She refused on the ground that she was a Christian, and they reminded her that St. Alexander had suffered death at Bergamo for the same superstition, bidding her choose to live and reign, or to die at once by the band of the executioner. She said she was proud to be counted worthy to follow in the stops of St. Alexander. She was be- headed, and buried in the church of that martyr. • AA.SS., P.B., from an old MS. Lec- tionary of the Church of Bergamo. The Bioijrafia Eclesiastica makes her the sister of St. Grata. The Bortian Martyrology merely gives the name of Asteria on this day as a martyr at Bergamo, under Dio- cletian and Maximian. St. Hethna, Ethnba. St Heya, Hbiu. B. Heyleka, Jan. 14. A Cistercian recluse, who had visions and wrought miracles, and is worshipped at St Andrew's Church at Cologne. AA.SS.^ Prseter.f from Bucelinns and Henriquez. St. Hejrna, Hbiu. St. Heyua, Hbiu. St. Hia, Ia (3). St. Hier, Theoctiste. St. Hieremia (i), May 6, M. at MUan. AA.SS. St. Hieremia (2), June 2i (Hieria, Inebia, Jbremia, Yena), M. at Syracuse. AA.SS. St. Hieria, Hieremia (2). St. Hieronyma, Geronima or GiROLAMA. St. Hierotes, Hbbotes. St. Hilaria (l), Dec 3, March 10 in the Greek Church, M. c. 257. Wife of St. Claudius, a tribune, and mother of St. Jason and St. Maurus, who were martyred at Home with seventy soldiers, under the Emperor Numerian. Claudius was thrown into the river with a stone tied to his neck. Hilaria, after burying her sons, was seized while praying at their tomb. She begged her captors to lot her finish her prayer, promising to go with them whereyer they pleased. She then prayed to be reunited to her sons, and so died. B.M. AA.SS. St. Hilaria (2), Aug. 12, M. Mother of St. Apra, of Augsburg. B.M, AA.SS. St. Hilaria (3), Dec. 31. B.M. (See DONATA.) St. Hilda or Hild, Nov. 17, 18, V. 014-080. Abbess and patron of Whitby. She was a descendant of Odin and Ella, being daughter of Hereric, nephew of Edwin, first Christian king of Northum- bria, cousin of Queen Eanflbda, the wife of St. Oswy. At the age of thirteen, Hilda was baptized with her grand-uncle, King Edwin, by St. Paulinus, on Easter Eve, 627. Some time afterwards, about the year 647, desiring to devote herself to religion, she went into East Anglia, which was governed by her nephew. King ^dwulf. From there, in the following year, she went to the monastery ol
