Description
St. Paraskeve’s name means preparation, or Friday, the day of preparation before Saturday, and comes from Biblical times. There are three St. Paraskeves?one from Rome in the second century, one from Iconium in the fourth century, and one from the Balkans in the 11th century. This St. Paraskeve is from Rome. Her parents were pious Christians, and when they died, St. Paraskeve went to live the monastic life of ascetic struggle.
She was arrested during the persecution of Christians under the reign of the Roman Emperor Antonius Pius (a.d. 138-161), but boldly confessed Christ and endured torture and even being boiled in tar and oil, which did not hurt her. When the emperor looked into the cauldron with St. Paraskeve to see it if was hot, a few drops fell on him, and he was burned. When St. Paraskeve prayed for him, he was healed and he stopped the persecutions of Christians and freed her. She then traveled to convert more to the Christian Faith. When Antonius died, the new emperor Marcus Aurelius began a new persecution of Christians. Brought again to trial, at last St. Paraskeve gave her soul to Christ about a.d. 165.