Saint Tatiana was born in Rome at the end of the second century into the family of a noble nobleman who was three times consul of Rome. He secretly confessed Christ, so he raised his daughter in piety and devotion to God. Tatiana knew the Holy Scriptures well and, having matured, decided to devote herself to Christ. She became a deaconess, that is, a woman who carried out social service in the church. Her duties included caring for and caring for sick women and pregnant women, as well as preparing them for baptism and performing the baptism itself.
In 222, power in Rome passed to sixteen-year-old Alexander Sevier. And although his mother was a Christian, and Alexander himself had nothing against Christians, the real power was concentrated in the hands of the governors and rulers of the regions. The eparch Ulpian became the ruler of the country. Ulpian was an idolater, hated Christians and brutally dealt with them. During the persecution, Saint Tatiana was captured.
The saint was required to worship idols in the temple of the god Apollo. Instead, the saint turned to Christ, and through her prayers, an earthquake occurred. Not only the idols were destroyed, but also the temple itself, under the rubble of which the priests were buried. Saint Tatiana was brutally tortured. They gouged out her eyes and tortured her for a long time. The saint prayed loudly for the tormentors, calling on God to "open their spiritual eyes." Suddenly, the eight tormentors saw the angels who were deflecting the blows inflicted on the holy virgin, and they heard a heavenly voice. They not only believed, but tearfully asked the saint to forgive them. For confessing Christ, they themselves were tortured and beheaded.
Saint Tatiana was tortured the next day, demanding that she renounce Christ. A miracle happened here when milk and fragrance began to flow from the wounds instead of blood. And when they took her out of the dungeon on the third day, they found that her body was healthy as before and had no traces of torment. Saint Tatiana was again required to worship idols, this time the goddess Demeter. Arriving at the temple, Saint Tatiana crossed herself and began to pray. Immediately, before everyone's eyes, both the idol and the temple were destroyed by lightning. Saint Tatiana was tortured again and thrown into a dungeon at night. On the fourth day, she was taken to the circus arena to be eaten by a lion. But the beast dutifully began to lick the wounds of Saint Tatiana and tore apart one of her tormentors. The saint was thrown into a bonfire, but she remained unharmed. Declaring her a witch, Saint Tatiana had her hair cut off, which was believed to contain her magical powers. Then she was taken to the temple of Zeus and locked up for two days. But even here, through the prayer of Saint Tatiana, the idols were defeated. When it became obvious to the persecutors that torture was pointless, and Saint Tatiana was adamant and firm in her faith, she was beheaded along with her father. It happened on January 25, 226.
Saint Tatiana is revered by all branches of the Christian Church. In the Catholic Church, she is considered a little-known saint and her veneration is not widespread. On icons, Saint Tatiana is usually depicted in a red robe (robe), which symbolizes the martyrdom and blood shed by the saint in the name of Christ. Her head is covered with a white scarf, indicating her chastity. In her hand, the saint holds a cross, a symbol of martyrdom, and sometimes a scroll, the text of which is addressed to believers. On one such scroll we find: "In agony, praying to God for those who are tormented, may He give them the knowledge of the truth."