The life of this saint is shrouded in obscurity. All we know of her is found in the Acts of her martyrdom, considered unreliable in their details. She was born in the 3rd century in Alise, the ancient Alésia where two hundred years earlier Vercingetorix had so valiantly fought against Caesar. Her mother died at her birth, and her father, a prominent pagan citizen, entrusted the child to a Christian nurse who baptized her.
Upon learning this, the father became angry and disowned his own daughter. Regine then went to live with her nurse, who had few means. The young girl helped by tending sheep, where she communed with God in prayer and meditated on the lives of the saints.
In 251, at the age of fifteen, she attracted the attention of a man named Olybrius, prefect of the Gauls, who decided to have her as his wife. He sent for the young girl and discovered that she was of noble birth and Christian faith. Chagrined, he tried to make her renounce her faith, but the holy young girl resolutely refused and also rejected his marriage proposal. Upon this, Olybrius left to deal with a barbarian incursion. On his return, he found the Saint even more determined to preserve her vow of virginity and to refuse to sacrifice to idols. Angered, he resorted to whipping, burning tongs, and iron combs, all to no avail, for the grace of God sustained the saint. She continued to praise God and defy Olybrius. Finally, her throat was cut and she went to meet her Heavenly Spouse.
PRAYER: Lord God, you filled Saint Regine with heavenly gifts. Help us to imitate her virtues during our earthly life and to enjoy eternal happiness with her in heaven. Amen.
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