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Meaning & History
The daughter of a pagan chieftain in 4th century Ireland. She converted to Christianity when she was aged about 12 and dedicated her life to Christ. When she reached the age to marry, her father wanted her to wed one of the noblest and wealthiest chiefs in Ireland. She ran away, but was brought back and imprisoned. She escaped through a miracle, took a ship to France, and landed on the coast of Gaul-Belgium where the Roman Emperor Valentinian I protected the Christians. She settled deep in the forest of Thiérache in Dorunum (now La Capelle), where she spent her days in prayer, meditation, and penance.
Her father sent soldiers to find her and bring her back, alive or dead. They followed her traces and eventually found her in the forest. They tried to persuade her to return to her country where a lavish wedding awaited her. Unable to convince her, they cut off her head, hid her mutilated body under a heap of dirt, and then returned to Ireland. After several years a chapel was erected over her grave, which became the nucleus of the town of La Capelle. The relics were thought to have miraculous properties and were moved several times in the years that followed, with different portions held in different places.
Her father sent soldiers to find her and bring her back, alive or dead. They followed her traces and eventually found her in the forest. They tried to persuade her to return to her country where a lavish wedding awaited her. Unable to convince her, they cut off her head, hid her mutilated body under a heap of dirt, and then returned to Ireland. After several years a chapel was erected over her grave, which became the nucleus of the town of La Capelle. The relics were thought to have miraculous properties and were moved several times in the years that followed, with different portions held in different places.