Page:A Dictionary of Saintly Women Volume 1.djvu/469

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455
455

ST. LANGUIDA 455 in 709; after whioh, the two young kings, accompanied by the Bishop of Worcester, travelled together to Borne, and became monks there. Kyneswide became a nnn with her sisters Etnebubga and Etnedbidb at Eyneborgcaster. Another version of the history of Kyne- switha is, that she was betrothed to Offa, bnt never married him, having persuaded him to make a vow of celibacy and become a monk. She is commemorated as a virgin saint. Strutt Montalembert. Bntler. Brit. Sancta. St. Kyngese, Cunbgund. St. K]rria, Cykia. St. Kywe, Feb. 8, V. Exeter Mart. Perhaps same as Kew. St. Lactissima, L^tisbima. St. Laeta or Let a, 4th and 5th cen- turies. Daughter of Albiuus, prefect of Bome, a heathen ; her mother was a Christian. Leta married Toxotius, son of St. Paula. They had a daughter, St. Paula the younger, whom they con- secrated to Qod from her birth. In 403 St. Jerome wrote a letter to Lssta, giving her advice as to the training of her child. Jerome's Epistles^ cvii. (Freemantle). Tillemont. St. Laetissima, Lactisbima, or Le- oissiMA, April 27. M. at Nicomedia in Bithynia. AA.SS. St, Laesecha^ Labsecha. St. LalToca, niece of St. Patrick, and sister of St. Echea. St. Lamberta or Lamdoberta, honoured at St. Jean de Conches. Gu6rin. St. Lancia, Lauce. SS. Landaia and Mutiana, July 26. Mart. Corbejense. AA.SS. St. Landovenna, Laudoveva. St Landrada, July 8, V. Abbess of Belise or MUnster-Bilsen, in the diocese of Leyden, + 680, or 690, or 708. Perhaps the same as Leandra. Patron of Mtinster-Bilsen and of Ohont. Bepresented praying, a crucifix coming down to her surrounded by rays of light, and clouds. She was an only child, of illuBtrious birth, and her parents wished to make a great marriage for her, but she was bent on leading a celibate, religious life. Her asceticism was such that she never would use a bath or a soft bed. One day while she was praying in a lonely place, she saw heaven opened, and a cross of exquisite workmanship descended and was placed on a very hard stone near her. At the same time a heavenly voice told her it was a gift to her. She worked like a strong man, clearing away briars, digging up stones, and carrying them, until she laid there the foundations of a church in honour of the Virgin Mary, and reared the altar with her own hands. The cross sent her from heaven impressed itself on the stone as on wax, and might be seen in tlvd church mauy years after- wards, when it was finished and con- secrated by St. Lambert, bishop of Maestricht, who died in 709. She col- lected a number of pious women about h^r and became their abbess. She edu- cated Amelbbrga (2) in her monastery. It is told in the third Life of St. Lambert (Sept. 17, AA.SS.) that Landrada on her death-bed, sent for him, but before he could arrive, she died. She appeared to him, however, and told him to bury her at Wiuterhoven, a village not far from Tongres in Belgium ; but the people insisted that she should be buried in her own church. He said, " It is a fine thing to rule over one's fellow-citizens, but it is very difficult to please every- body." He did as they bade him, but the body was miraculously translated. In three days, her grave was opened and found empty. Messengers were sent in all haste to Winterhoven, and there her sacred body was found in the place of her choice. It was translated with those of St. Landoald and St. Lambert to Ghent in 980. AA.SS. Cahier. San- derus, Flandria illustrata. St. Languida, Oct. 21, V. Com- panion of St. Ursula. Her festival is kept May 8 at Toumay, where her relics are preserved. AA.SS.i Preeter. Migne.