Rollo, c. 876, took her body from England to Jumièges, in Normandy, and placed it on the altar of the monastery of St. Peter there. It is supposed that, finding the body of the saint splendidly dressed and adorned with gold and silver ornaments, they carried it off, in hope of receiving a large sum as ransom; but, disappointed in this expectation, they left it at Jumièges, where it was reverently preserved by the monks. A chapel was called by her name, and a village near long afterwards bore the name of S. Emendrenille. Morosini, Eccles. Dict. AA.SS.
B. Amicia, Feb. 23 (Amica, Amicitia, and perhaps Anna). O.S.D. 13th century. Founder of Montargis. Daughter of Simon IV. de Montfort, earl of Leicester († 1218); her mother was Alice de Montmorenci. Amicia was sister of the great Earl Simon, called the father of the English Parliament. She married Gaucher de Joygni, seigneur of Chateau-Renard. This heroic matron, says Manoel de Lima, used all her influence to make her only son take the habit of St. Dominic; asking this of God with great fervour, she obtained it in the hour of that son's death. Being rid of her husband and children, she built a Dominican monastery at Montargis, and there took the veil, and led such a life as to be called by all writers, "Blessed." Lima calls her Anna, and places her death in 1220; Guénebault, Dict. Icon., says 1230; and Pio says about 1235, which seems more likely. Lima, Agiologio Domenico. Pio, Donne Illustre per Santita. Prothero, Life of Simon de Montfort. L'Art de vérifier les Dates, ii. 482.
St. Amida, or Animida, July 2, M. at Rome or in Mesopotamia. Soller, in AA.SS.
St. Amie, Aug. 9, M. in the East Guérin.
St. Amigradina, July 2, M. at Rome or in Mesopotamia. Soller, in AA.SS.
St. Amma, (1) Isidora, (2) Piamun, (3) Talida.
St. Ammia (1) (Amnea, Elpe, Helpis), one of those among the martyrs of Lyons who, being Roman citizens, were beheaded instead of being killed, like their companions, by the beasts of the circus. See Blandina. AA.SS.
St. Ammia (2), Aug. 31. 3rd century. Foster-mother of St. Mamas the martyr, who was born in prison. His parents, SS. Theodotus and Rufina, died there for the cause of Christ, and he was taken by a certain Christian woman of senatorial rank, and brought up kindly. R.M. Men. of Basil, in Ughelli, Italia Sacra, x.
SS. Ammonaria (1 and 2), Dec. 12, MM. 250. Ammonaria (1), V., was beheaded at Alexandria, in the reign of Decius. At the beginning of the trial, she declared she would not utter a word, and kept her resolution, in spite of long and terrible tortures. Her judge, not liking to be outdone in determination by women, had her companions beheaded without torture; they were SS. Mercuria, Dionysia, and Ammonaria (2). R.M. J. M. Neale, Holy Eastern Church. Butler, from Eusebius.
St. Ammonatha, Dec. 12. Baring Gould says she is mentioned in some Greek calendars, with St. Antha, on this day. Perhaps the same as Ammonaria.
St. Ammonia, Feb. 19. M. with St. Cointa and 10 others, at Apollonia, in Macedonia, under the Emperor Decius. Ferrarius, Topography.
St. Ampull, or Ampoule, is sometimes spoken of as if it were the name of a woman, but this is not the case. It was the sacred phial used for the anointing of Clovis, at his baptism, at Rheims, in 496. The legend is that the crowd in the church was so great that the clerk could not get through it to bring the chrism (anointing oil) to St. Remi (Remigius) the bishop, as he stood at the font with his converts. The bishop prayed that the holy ceremony might not be delayed, and lo! a white dove appeared, bringing a small phial of oil, with which the king was anointed. The same phial has been used at the coronation of every king of France down to that of Charles X. in 1825. It is about the size of a walnut; it has never been replenished, yet it never suffers any diminution of oil. Collin de Plancy, Légendes de l'Histoire de France.
