Sainte Irène de Tomar
Vénérée au Portugal (+ 653)
L'histoire nous dit
qu'elle était belle et très pieuse. Un jeune seigneur de Nabancia au Portugal
en eut bien des distractions durant les offices. Mais sachant qu'elle s'était
donnée à Dieu, il respecta sa décision et la garda seulement dans son cœur,
jusqu'au jour où un moine, jaloux de ce jeune seigneur, et qui était le
précepteur d'Irène, lui dit qu'elle lui avait menti et n'avait allégué cette
virginité que pour mieux évincer le jeune seigneur. Blessé par cette révélation
mensongère, il assassina sainte Irène au sortir d'une messe et jeta dans la
rivière son corps qui fut recueilli plus loin. La ville voisine prit le nom de
Santarem, sainte Irène. C'est du moins ce que l'on contait quelques siècles
plus tard. Sainte Irène est très populaire en Espagne et au Portugal.
Le mensonge est une
blessure profonde qui nous atteint lorsqu’il détruit la fidélité que nous avons
donnée. Le Christ n’a-t-il pas été lui-même calomnié, au cœur même de sa
mission ? Pourquoi serions-nous au-dessus du maître ? Pourquoi ne pas le suivre
jusque là, fidèle, humblement et malgré tout.
Lectionnaire Emmaüs
SOURCE : http://nominis.cef.fr/contenus/saint/2047/Sainte-Irene-de-Tomar.html
Also
known as
Irene del Portogallo
Profile
Nun in Portugal,
possibly at Santarem where her memory is especially revered. Died fighting
off a rape attempt.
Born
Tomar, Estremadura, Portugal
Additional
Information
Book
of Saints, by the Monks of
Ramsgate
Lives
of the Saints, by Father Francis
Xavier Weninger
Saints
of the Day, by Katherine Rabenstein
books
Our Sunday Visitor’s Encyclopedia of Saints
other
sites in english
images
fonti
in italiano
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em português
MLA
Citation
“Saint Irene of
Tomar“. CatholicSaints.Info. 24 April 2022. Web. 10 February 2026.
<https://catholicsaints.info/saint-irene-20-october/>
SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/saint-irene-20-october/
Book of Saints –
Irene – 20 October
Article
(Saint) Virgin Martyr
(October 20) (7th century) A Portuguese nun murdered in defense of her chastity
(A.D. 653). Her body thrown into the Tagus was miraculously recovered, and the
wonders wrought at her tomb led to her canonization. Her shrine is at Santarem
(Sant Irene), the ancient Scalabris, which takes its modern name from the
Martyr.
MLA
Citation
Monks of Ramsgate.
“Irene”. Book of Saints, 1921. CatholicSaints.Info.
10 September 2013. Web. 10 February 2026. <https://catholicsaints.info/book-of-saints-irene-20-october/>
SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/book-of-saints-irene-20-october/
St. Irene of Tomar
Feastday: October 20
Patron: of Tomar, Portugal; Santarém; Santa Iria de Azóia, Loures
Birth: 635
Death: 653
A nun of Portugal who
is especially revered in Santarem. She is considered by scholars to be
identical to Irene.
SOURCE : https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=3865
Article
Born in Tomar,
Estremadura, Portugal; died at Scalabris (Santarem), Portugal, c.653.
This may be just a pious
tale, but I thought it was a good story. Irene, a beautiful and chaste
Portuguese girl, was murdered before she reached the age of 20. Her noble,
pious parents, wishing to protect and prepare her to take her rightful position
in society, sent her to a convent school and then arranged for a monk to tutor
her privately at home.
“An assiduous pupil and a
devout believer, the only times she ever left her house was to attend mass or
to pray in the sanctuary dedicated to Saint Peter on his feast-day. A young
nobleman named Britald happened to see her on one of these rare outings and
fell desperately in love with her. Every time that she went out he waited to
catch a glimpse of her, followed her to church, and eventually made his suit
known to her; however, Irene gave him to understand that she would never marry
him.
“Thus rejected, Britald
fell into a deep depression and became so ill that the doctors who were called
in to tend him gave him up for lost. Hearing of this, Irene visited him and
told him that she had refused him because she was no longer free, having
already taken a vow of virginity.
“Britald at once accepted
her decision and gradually recovered his health. Before Irene left him he had
sworn that he would respect, and make others respect, her vocation as a holy
virgin, and the two had parted like brother and sister, promising each other
that they would meet again in Paradise.
“Irene returned home and
resumed the life of seclusion and study, intending to make her entrance into a
convent before long. But the monk who was giving her private lessons proved to
be a lecherous scoundrel, and behaved towards he in a manner as dishonorable as
Britald’s was honorable.
“Irene repulsed him and
had him dismissed at once; but his lust turning to a desire for revenge, the
monk then began to spread slanderous rumors about her. To those who asked him
why he was no longer giving the girl her private lessons, he replied that he
had left on learning that she was about to become a mother.
“This rumor quickly
circulated throughout the town and at length reached Britald who, being frank
and trusting and unused to lies, believed what he was told. In a passion of
rage and jealousy, he hired a mercenary soldier to kill her. Soon afterwards,
as she was returning home from visiting an old man who was crippled, the
assassin approached him from behind and killed her with a single stroke of his
sword.
“Her body, which was
thrown into the river, was later retrieved by some Benedictines on the banks of
the Tagus, near the town of Scalabris. They gave her a proper burial, made
known her story, and not long afterwards, so great was the veneration in which
she was held, the name of the town of Scalabis was changed to Santarem (Saint
Irene)” (verbatim from Encyclopedia).
The Benedictines say that
the legend as handed down is full of fiction, but the essential facts are
certain: She was a Portuguese nun who died c.653 in defense of her chastity in
the ancient town of Scalabris.
MLA
Citation
Katherine I
Rabenstein. Saints of the Day, 1998. CatholicSaints.Info.
3 August 2020. Web. 10 February 2026.
<https://catholicsaints.info/saints-of-the-day-irene-2/>
SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/saints-of-the-day-irene-2/
Weninger’s
Lives of the Saints – Saint Irene, Virgin and Martyr
Article
In the eighth Century,
lived at Villa de Toma, a city of Portugal, a very pious married couple, named
Hermigius and Eugenia, who had one daughter, to whom they had given the name of
Irene. As soon as the latter was old enough to be instructed, they requested
Selius, Abbot of a neighboring monastery, who was a brother of Eugenia, to give
her in charge of a religious that she might be instructed in the Christian
doctrine and also learn to read and write. Selius received Irene joyfully and
placed her in a house not far from his monastery, where two of his sisters and
some other ladies lived, who were all instructed by a religious, named
Remigius. For several years all went well, and Irene not only progressed in her
studies, but also became a model of virtue and piety. She already at that time resolved
to enter a convent, and bestowed all her care on preserving her innocence and
chastity without spot, so that she might make a worthy sacrifice of it to the
Almighty. She loved solitude, and never left the house except when she went
with her companions to church. Britaldus, a noble youth, who one day saw her on
such an occasion, became inflamed with passion towards her. He most eagerly
sought an opportunity to see her alone, and to make her acquainted with his
designs; but as she never appeared alone and he was not allowed to enter the
house where she was, he saw no way to attain his end. Still, he did not curb
his passion, which at last grew so violent, that he became sick with grief, and
seemed slowly to pine away. When Irene was informed of this, she pitied, with
her whole heart, the soul of the unhappy youth. Taking counsel with God in
prayer, she took courage, and went to him with some respected person, intending
to cure him of his wicked folly. Britaldus hesitated not to inform her of the
cause of his sickness; but the chaste virgin reproved him with such earnest
words that he acknowledged his wickedness, repented of it and promised to
reform. He thanked Irene . when she went away, for having saved his soul and
body from ruin by her Christian exhortations, adding, however, that if she ever
gave her love to any man, it should be to him, as otherwise she would pay it
with her life. Irene replied that she had given her heart entirely to God, and
therefore, that he should discard all such thoughts and care only for the
salvation of his soul and the health of his body. After this, Irene left him,
and returning to her convent, she gave thanks to God for having sustained her
with His grace, and continued in her zeal for His service. Suddenly, however, she
was placed in far greater danger of losing her purity then heretofore.
Remigius, who until now had led her in the path of virtue and piety, fell
himself into the snares of the devil. Irene, horrified at this, reproved him
for his wickedness. Remigius was frightened at her words, but not converted;
for, to revenge himself, he administered to her, a few days later, a potion
which disfigured her. The rumor of this soon spread through the entire city,
and Britaldus, when it reached his ears, became so enraged that he resolved to
kill her, and hired one of his servants to commit the bloody deed.
The innocent Irene
meanwhile was oppressed with sadness. To her other sufferings were added
suspicion and accusation; and she even heard nerself charged with a vice of which
she had the greatest horror. She knew also that if she protested her innocence,
no one would listen to her, or believe her words. Even her relations abused,
shunned and abhorred her. In this pitiful condition, she turned her thoughts to
God, who knew her innocence, and begged Him to have mercy on her and save her.
To free her heart from its terrible burden of grief, she went, for several
days, early in the morning, into a wood near the river Naban, and called aloud
to God for help, while the tears streamed down her cheeks. The assassin hired
by Britaldus, having observed that she left the house at a certain hour,
followed her one day and thrust his dagger into her heart, and threw her dead
body into the river. When during several days, nothing had been heard or seen
of her, it was thought that she had fled in her despair or perhaps had killed
herself. Selius, the pious Abbot, on becoming aware of all the reports which
were afloat about Irene, was greatly grieved, and prayed to God that He would
make known the truth. His prayer was heard; heaven revealed to him all that had
passed, and where to find the holy body of the murdered virgin. Selius, greatly
rejoiced, went on the following day, accompanied by his religious and several
other persons, to the river. When they had reached the spot where the Naban
empties itself into another river, they found that the stream had left its bed,
in the middle of which they saw a magnificent coffin, in which lay the body of
the chaste Irene still stained with blood. Without doubt the Angels had
prepared the coffin and placed the virgin in it. All present wept with joy. The
pious Abbot ordered the coffin to be brought to the bank, but it could not be
moved, for, God had ordained that his chaste spouse should have her last resting-place
on that spot. The Abbot, therefore, cut off some of her hair and a piece of the
garment with which the angels had clothed her, and then returned, giving thanks
to the Almighty for having revealed the innocence of his handmaid. The river,
returning to its bed, buried the coffin under its waters. Britaldus and
Remigius, hearing of the miracle, confessed their crimes, went to Rome and did
penance until the end of their days. The relics which the Abbot had taken from
the virgin were deposited in his church as a sacred treasure, on account of the
many miracles which God performed on the blind, lame, and sick, who devoutly
touched them. Irene was placed in the number of the holy Virgins and Martyrs.
Practical Considerations
• The chaste Irene was
suspected and accused of great sins. Every one was ready to believe her guilty,
and spoke ill of her without scruple; and yet all were mistaken, all were
deceived. Irene was innocent. They judged her wrongfully; their suspicions were
false. Oh! that we would learn how dangerous it is to suspect evil of our
neighbor, to speak ill of him, to judge him hastily, or listen to others who
slander him. We think sometimes that what so many say must be true; and yet it
is false, and the whole affair proves entirely different from what it was
suspected to be. Eyes and ears are often deceived. Do you know the best way?
I. Avoid defamers and
slanderers so not lend them your ear; prevent the evil done by gossiping, as
much as you can. If no one listened to the slanders, and, by agreeing with
them, strengthened them in their wickedness, they would soon cease to defame
their neighbor’s character or actions. But if we like to listen to them, ask
them about several circumstances, or are astonished at what they relate and
desire to know more, we give them occasion to become still more daring, and to
persevere in their wicked discourse. “Where there are no listeners, there are
no slanderers,” says Saint Augustine.
II. Do not easily believe
the evil that is told you of your neighbor, as it is known to you that people
have been deceived hundreds and hundreds of times.
III. Do not watch the
faults of others, if you are not by your duty called upon to do so.
IV. If an evil suspicion
is suggested to you, yield not to it, but think: what have I to do with it? it
is not my affair; I am not set as a judge over my neighbor. Further, attend
more to your own faults, and you will surely be more lenient in judging your
neighbor’s, whose failings are not so numerous as your own. “And why see you
the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, and see not the beam that is in thine
own eye?” says the Lord, our Saviour, (Matthew 7) And Saint Paul says: “Who art
you that judgest another man’s servant? To his own Lord he stands or falls.”
(Romans 14)
• The chaste Irene was
deeply grieved when she heard how they suspected her, how they judged her, and
what they said of her. Still more painful must it have been to her when they
refused to believe her when she protested her innocence and endeavored to de-
fend her good name. What more did she do? Did she call down vengeance on her
slanderers? did she complain against the Almighty who allowed it? or did she
give way to immoderate sadness? She did nothing of all this. She placed her
trust in the Almighty, as witness of her innocence. God neither failed to
reveal her innocence to the world, nor to bring to shame her slanderers, though
not until after her death. That you should grieve when you are suspected of
evil, or judged wrongfully, is no sin; for you are but human, and therefore
feel a wrong done you. God permits you also to defend yourself, to vindicate
your good name, and protest against false accusations. But when all that you
say or do is of no avail to clear you in the eyes of the world, leave your
justification in the hands of the Almighty. Abstain from cursing, complaints
and murmurs; despond not; for, God will reveal your innocence, if not in this
life, on the day of judgment, when all will see, to your great honor, that you
were not what they took you to be. Meanwhile, console yourself, as has already
been said, with your own conscience, with the example of Saint Irene, nay, even
with that of Christ, your Lord, who, defamed and derided, died the death of the
greatest criminal. “If we think on the passion of Christ, nothing will seem so
hard that we cannot bear it patiently,” says Saint Isidore.
MLA
Citation
Father Francis Xavier
Weninger, DD, SJ. “Saint Irene, Virgin and Martyr”. Lives
of the Saints, 1876. CatholicSaints.Info.
11 May 2018. Web. 10 February 2026.
<https://catholicsaints.info/weningers-lives-of-the-saints-saint-irene-virgin-and-martyr/>
SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/weningers-lives-of-the-saints-saint-irene-virgin-and-martyr/
Sant' Irene del
Portogallo Martire
Festa: 20 ottobre
Sec. VI
Etimologia: Irene =
pace, pacifica, dal greco
Emblema: Palma
Sono più d'una, nei calendari, le Sante con il nome di Irene. Nome bello nel suono e nel significato, perché deriva dalla parola greca che significa " pace ". La Santa Irene di oggi è una delle più note, grazie soprattutto a una pittoresca leggenda che ha incontrato grande popolarità in molti paesi, benché abbia ben poco di verosimile. Narra dunque come Irene, nata nel Portogallo sulla metà del VI secolo, fosse religiosa in un monastero di vergini consacrate a Dio. Benché modesta e pudica, ella spiccava tra le consorelle per la sua eccezionale bellezza di lineamenti.
Si innamorò di lei un giovane signore, che più volte la chiese in sposa. Irene gli fece capire come ciò fosse impossibile, e non per sprezzo o antipatia, ma per restare fedele a un impegno più alto. Al rifiuto, il giovane, sinceramente innamorato, si afflisse tanto da ridursi gravemente ammalato. Spronata dalla carità, Irene si recò a visitarlo, e lo consolò con parole così ispirate da far presto guarire l'innamorato giovane.
Ma la storia non finì lì. Un religioso indegno, turbato dalla bellezza di Irene, tentò di corrompere la giovane, sua penitente. Non riuscendovi, egli si vendicò atrocemente. Offrì alla fanciulla una misteriosa bevanda, e poco dopo Irene mostrò i segni di una prossima maternità.
Lo scandalo dilagò. Lo seppe anche il primo pretendente, il quale, giustamente si ritenne odiosamente beffato. Mandò perciò un sicario per punire la donna, da lui ritenuta menzognera e impudica.
Il sicario recise con la spada la testa di Irene, poi ne gettò il corpo nelle acque di un fiume. La corrente portò il corpo di Irene fino al Tago, poi lo fece arenare presso la città di Scallabis; dove viveva un Abate, zio della fanciulla. Avvertito in visione dell'accaduto, l'Abate si recò in processione a raccogliere le spoglie dell'uccisa.
Non fu difficile comprovare l'innocenza della fanciulla, Martire senza colpa. La sua vicenda commosse l'intera città, tanto che da allora venne chiamata, non più Scallabis, ma Santarèm, cioè " Sant'Irene ".
Abbiamo già detto che questa popolarissima leggenda non ha nessun fondamento reale. La Santa di oggi, la Santa Irene di Santarèm, altro non è che l'immaginario " doppione " di un'altra Martire dallo stesso nome.
Sant'Irene, Martire di Tessalonica nei primi secoli, era particolarmente
venerata a Scallabis, dove si trovavano alcune sue reliquie. La devozione per
l'antica Martire orientale dette corpo alla leggenda della Santa dallo stesso
nome, ma con le fattezze di una fanciulla portoghese. Si volle insomma rendere
più edificante e commovente un esempio di virtù e di eroismo, non però allo
scopo di ingannare i fedeli, ma al contrario per accrescere il loro zelo e
ravvivare il loro affetto per la Santa.
Fonte : Archivio
Parrochia
SOURCE : https://www.santiebeati.it/dettaglio/74450
Santa Eiria ou Santa Iria
No tempo que em Espanha
reinava Reccesoindo, Rei dos Godos, havia em Nabância (que agora é a vila de
Tomar onde está assentado o Convento da Ordem de nosso Senhor IESV Cristo e
esteve em tempo antigo o dos Templários) um fidalgo de nome Hermigio, que de
Eugenia sua mulher tinha uma filha de nome Irene, na qual com a idade iam
crescendo grandes virtudes e esperanças do que depois foi.
Junto à mesma vila havia uma Abadia, de que era Abade Selio, varão douto e
santo irmão da dita Eugenia, o qual sendo muito contente da sua sobrinha Irene,
tomou a cargo a criação e doutrina dela, e entregou-a a duas irmãs de Hermigio,
que com outras muito donzelas religiosas, viviam em congregação e clausura, e
lhe deu por mestre para a doutrinar nas letras, um monge principal do seu
mosteiro de nome Remígio, homem letrado e tido por virtuoso.
Esta santa donzela como nunca saia daquela clausura mais do que uma vez por
ano, no dia de S. Pedro, cuja igreja estava junto aos paços de Castenaldo,
senhor da vila de Nabância.
Foi vista por Britaldo, filho único de Castenaldo e tanto dela se enamorou que,
por ter encoberto os seus grandes desejos e angústias, por reverência do pai e
mãe de Irene e de seu tio o Abade, chegou às portas da morte.
Porque como não se sabia a causa da sua enfermidade, assim não lhe davam
remédio.
Entendendo a santa donzela, por revelação divina, aquele mal, e a causa dele,
foi ver Britaldo que na cama estava, para o consolar, e o tirar daquele ilícito
amor, e fazer com que o converter-se a Deus a quem o devia ter.
Britaldo alegrou-se tanto com a visita e as palavras de Irene, que parecia que
havia ressuscitado e à despedida dela, pediu para que lhe promete-se de nunca
em seu coração, entrar outrem que não fosse ele.
Ao que ela respondeu, que nunca Deus permitiria que a ele nem a outrem tivesse
amor. E pondo-lhe as mãos e dizendo algumas orações, saiu.
Britaldo curou-se rapidamente.
Daí a dois anos em continuação das aulas que Remigio tinha com a sua discípula,
entrou o Demónio nele, e a começou a amar torpemente e descobrir-lhe seus
desejos: ao que ela respondeu com tanta fúria e aspereza de palavras, que
convertendo ele o amor em ódio, e instigado pelo Demónio, determinou vingar-se
através de uma estranha arte, que foi dar à inocente donzela uma beberagem
composta por tais ervas de que lhe fizeram inchar a barriga de maneira, que
verdadeiramente parecia prenhe.
Esta prenhez divulgou-se por toda a terra, com grande vergonha e angústia para
santa Irene e seus parentes.
O que vindo às orelhas de Britaldo, e dando a vista testemunho da fama, movido
com ciúmes daquilo que quisera a Irene, e do que lhe pedira, e ela lhe
prometera, procurou um soldado a quem mandou que a espiasse e como visse
ocasião, a matasse.
E assim foi, que saindo ela uma manhã ao rio Nabão que há junto, para aliviar a
sua enfermidade e pedir a nosso Senhor que a livrasse de uma infâmia, pois
sabia a sua inocência, estando ela de joelhos a orar, veio o soldado e
degolou-a, despiu-a e depois deixando-a em camisa, lançou-a ao rio para que se
não ficasse a saber do sucedido.
As tias cuidaram que desesperada por aquela vergonha, da sua prenhez, se fora com
algum homem a perder-se de todo.
Mas Deus, que nas maiores pressas socorre aos seus servos, não permitiu que
aquela santa donzela morresse infamada, mas que se mostrasse a sua santidade e
pureza, e revelou ao Abade Selio, seu tio, tudo o que se passara e onde a
acharia.
A corrente do Nabão onde foi lançada, tinha-a levado ao rio Zêzere onde se
mete, e o Zêzere a levou ao Tejo onde também entra em Punhete, e a corrente do
Tejo a levou daí ao pé do monte alto de Santarém que até então se chamou
Cabelicastro.
O Abade muito alegre com aquela revelação, revelou o que descobriu ao povo que
acreditou nele pela sua muita autoridade e santa vida, e porque Deus o moveu, e
todos com grande procissão acompanharam o Abade até ao dito monte.
E onde o corpo da santa estava, as águas do Tejo se afastaram ao redor, fazendo
parede e ficando seca a terra onde o corpo estava posto sobre um sepulcro
laureado por obra de Deus.
O Abade e a mais gente a quiseram tirar dali e não poderão com força alguma ou
engenho movê-lo.
Pelo que entendendo todos que era obra de Deus, somente lhe tomaram por
relíquias os cabelos e parte da camisa que tinha vestida. E tornando-se a
procissão virão outro milagre, que foi, as águas do Tejo tornarem-se a cerrar
cobrindo o sepulcro.
Com as relíquias que o Abade trouxe, fizeram-se outros muitos milagres em Tomar
que foi, verem muitos cegos, e andarem muitos aleijados.
Daí em diante começou aquela nobre vila de Cabelicastro a chamar-se Santa
Eiria, e por decurso de tempo corromper-se o nome em Santarém.
De maneira que a Santa tem por epitáfio a vila de Santarém, e por sepultura, o
nomeado rio Tejo.
A Festa de Santa Eiria celebra-se aos Vinte de Outubro.
- Duarte Nunes de Leão
Publicada por Sigillum à(s) 1/12/2009
SOURCE : https://sigillum-militum-christi2.blogspot.com/2009/01/santa-eiria-ou-santa-iria.html
