Page:A Dictionary of Saintly Women Volume 1.djvu/367

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ST. GORGOXIA 353 door. They tied a rope round her neck, and put her in a pond. After keeping her there long enough to be sure she was dead, they put her back into her bed, and arranged things so that it should seem that she had died a natural death. The mark of the cord, however, was livid, and bleeding, and no one doubted that the murder had been done at the instigation of her husband. Ber- told married again, and had a daughter who was bom blind, and recovered her sight by washing her eyes in the pond where Godeleva had been drowned. This miracle led to the conversion of Bertold and his mother, for which Godeleva had prayed before and since her death. Bertold became a monk in the monastery of St. Winnock, and built a church and convent at Ghistelle, O.S.B., which was dedicated in honour of St. Godeleva. The first translation of her body was made in 1088. Rain on her day is specially dreaded in Belgium. Her contemporary Life was written by Drogo, or Dreux, bishop of Therou- enne. He had lived at Ghistelle, and wrote soon after her death, on the authority of witnesses of her actions. He dedicated his work to Radbod XL, bishop of Noyon and Tournay, who had . given a judicial sentence in favour of the saint against *her husband. B,M, AA.SS. Baillet. Eckenstein. St. Godeli^ve, Godeleva. St. Godelu, Veronica (1). B. Godina, Oct. 1. lOth century. Abbess of the Benedictine convent of vSt. John de Yieira, at Basto, in Entre Minho y Douro, in Portugal, diocese of Braccaro. She brought up her niece, St. Senorina, who succeeded her as abbess, and died 982. Tamayo calls Godina " Blessed." AA,SS., " St. Senor- ina," April 22. St. Godlief, Godeleva. St. Godoleph, Godeleva. St. Goeda, Guda. St. Goele, Gudula. St. Gofen, Cofen. St. Golenddyd, daughter of Bry- chan. (See Almheda). Perhaps the same as Nefydd. Rees. St. Golinduca, July 12 (Cholin- DUCHE, Mary). 0th century. In the time of Cosroes, king of Persia, there was at Hierapolis a woman named Golinduca, a native of Babylon, of a family of Magi. Her father was one of the chief receivers of taxes and of the king's revenues. She married young. One day, while sitting at dinner with her husband and others, she suddenly lost all strength and power of move- ment. Whei^ she recovered, they asked ber what had caused this seizure. She said she had seen in a trance the horrible torments prepared for the wicked, and the delights in store for those who wor- ship the God of the Christians. Her husband at first treated her with ridicule, afterwards he threatened to kill her. She had another vision. On the death of her husband, she left Babylon, and went to Nisibis, where she applied to the Christian priests for instruction. The Magi heard of her conversion, and when they had exhausted arguments, bribes, and threats, they had her im- prisoned. Delivered by an angel, she escaped to Roman territory, visited Jerusalem, and returned to Hierapolis, where she predicted to Cosroes many things which were to happen. She also foretold to the Romans that Cosroes would come and ask their help. She set a holy example during the rest of her life. Theophylacte Simocatte, Hist, de VEmpereur Maurice^ liv. v. chap, xii., Cousin's translation. AA.SS,y " St. Sira." St. Golinia, July 6, V. in Ireland. Nothing known of her; supposed cor- ruption of some other name. AA.SS.^ Prseter, Possibly Moninia, i.e. Mod- WENNA. St. Gondeine, Guddena. {See Gau- DENTIA (1).) St. Gonthilde, G^ntild, Guntild. St. Gontnide (l Gertrude (1). St. Gontnide (2), Gebetrude. St Gorgone, Sept. 9, M. at Nico- media, under Diocletian. Canisius. St Gorgonia (l), June 3, M. at Rome. AA,SS, St Gorgonia (2), Dec. 9. 4th century. Daughter of the elder St. Gregory, bishop of Nazianzus, in Cappa- docia, and of St. Nonna, his wife, and sister of the more famous St. Gregory of 2 A