St. Hermione was the daughter of one of our greatest saints, St. Philip the Deacon. Early in her life, it became obvious to her family and friends that she had amazing skills as a healer. In the coming years, she dedicated all of her time, energy and creativity to healing the most dire of ailments, both physical and spiritual.

When the Roman Emperor Trajan heard of her gifts, he attributed them to sorcery and commanded that she appear before him, thinking he might put her abilities to use for his own selfish reasons. When she refused to be exploited by him, he had her publicly flogged and beaten. Trajan's successor, Hadrian, had a similar dislike and fear of Hermione’s gifts. She suffered much under his rule as well and was imprisoned for years, but all the while she stayed faithful, healing and bringing many to the faith—not to mention many prison guards!

And on the day when Hadrian commanded that she be executed for her gifts, and for her religious beliefs, the newly converted guards broke her out of her dungeon and whisked her away to the safety of the local hills. There she lived and ministered for many years, converting those around her, healing and teaching. When she eventually fell asleep in the Lord—most traditions hold that she was eventually martyred—her disciples carried on her ministry for years to come, never forgetting the example she had set for them as a loving, compassionate healer of God’s people.

Getting Practical: Is your little one enamored with Hermione Granger, the clever little sorceress of the Harry Potter book/movie series? Why not share the beautiful story of St. Hermione with your daughter, and open her eyes to the holy life of the “real Hermione.” Look for an upcoming article on this topic by Fr. Alex—“Two Hermiones”—in the fall edition of Diakonia magazine.