TODAY'S SAINT

ST. LYDIA

St. Lydia was a woman of Thyatira in the district of Lydia, the west--centrral portion of the Roman province of Asia, a district famed for its purple dyes. She was living as a dealer in purple goods at Philippi when St. Paul first came to the city about the year 55. Till then she had been a "worshiper of God," the technical name for a partial converet to Judaism. Under the influence of St. Paul's powerful preaching she received Christian Baptism--together with her entire household.This conversion represents the first one mentioned in Europe.

Since Lydia was apparently a wealthy woman, she then insisted on pro-viding hospitality for St. Paul and his companions Luke and Silas during their stay at Philippi. St. Luke later wrote a record of this event in his history of the early Church, known as The Acts of the Apostles (16:11-15).

Feast: August 3

Partron of Dyers

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