she used to instruct her servants and vassals, and to work conversions among the friends whom she received or met in society, but now, in her poor little house at Apt, her life was an apostolate; she seemed to have a special mission to bring near to God all persons who came to her; she only spoke out of the abundance of her heart, and every word seemed to go to the heart of the listener. All sorts and conditions of men came to consult her about their spiritual difficulties.
A priest who wished his niece to become a nun, spoke on the subject to Delphine, who, knowing by her wonderful intuition that the girl had no vocation to the religious life, opposed the plan, and told the priest he would endanger the soul of his niece if he exerted his authority to drive her into the cloister. Throughout her life, one of Delphine's favourite works of charity was making up quarrels, of which many instances are given in her biography. She died at Apt, Nov. 26, 1360, and was at once venerated as a saint. Little more than two years afterwards steps were taken towards hercanonization, by Urban V., her husband's godson, but before all the formalities were completed this Pope died, and it was not until 1410 that her body was solemnly taken up from the tomb, enclosed in a shrine ornamented with silver, and placed beside that of St. Elzéar.
The memory of these saints still lives in Provence, and their féte is kept with great devotion. Their cousin, B. Roselyne, is also remembered at Apt to this day.
St. Elzéar's name is in the R.M., Sept. 27. Blessed Delphine is mentioned with him on the same day, and also Nov. 27, in the Mart. Seraphici Ordinis and they are also named on those days in the Mart. Romano Seraphicum, A.R.M. His Life is in the AA.SS., Bollandi, and much of the information regarding B. Delphine is derived from it. She is generally called "Saint," but the title hitherto accorded by authority of the Pope is "Blessed." Their Lives and Singular Virtues are described by Father Etienne Binet, S.J., and translated into English by T. H., 1638. A very readable book is the Marquise de Forbin d'Oppede's Delphine et les Saints de Provence. She quotes, among other authorities, an old Provençal Life of Delphine preserved in the Bibliothèque Nationale, and a history of the process of her canonization.
St. Demergothia, or Denegothia, Oct. 1, M. at Tomis, in Lower Moœsia. AA.SS.
St. Demetria (1), June 21, V. M. + 362. Daughter of St. Flavianus and St. Dafrosa. Sister of St. Bibiana. Condemned with them to be scourged to death under Julian the Apostate, but died at the stake before the executioner touched her. According to Butler, after the death of St. Dafrosa, St. Demetria and her sister were imprisoned in their house, and attempts were made to pervert them from the faith. They were then brought before the governor, who had condemned their parents. Demetria confessed her faith, and fell dead before the tribunal. {See Bibiana.) AA.SS. Mrs. Jameson, Sacred and Legendary Art.
St. Demetria (2), June 3, M. in Africa with more than a hundred others. AA,SS.
St. Demetria (3), or Demetrias. 5th century. Daughter of Olybrius, of the illustrious house of the Anicii. He and his brother Probinus were consuls in 305, being appointed to that dignity by Theodosius the Great, at the request of the Roman Senate.
They were distinguished by every good quality. They were the first instance of two brothers not of the imperial family being consuls together. Olybrius died prematurely, and was mourned by all Rome, but ho was thus spared the grief and humiliation of seeing Rome sacked by the barbarians. His widow Juliana, his mother Proba, and his daughter Demetria left Rome and went to Carthage (where they had property), to avoid the invasion of the Goths. They saw the burning of Rome from their ship as they left the shores of Italy. Count Heraclian seized a great deal of their African property.
St. Demetria, in the midst of a large and luxurious house, surrounded by
