Photina the Samaritan (1st century)

Biography

This sinner became at Jacob's well, near Sychar (Sama, ria). Jesus had gone to the place to rest from the fatigue of the trip when he found her. Saint John has preserved the words that brought about his conversion (Jn 4, 4-42). They are the same words that all the souls that the Father has led to his Son follow: "If you knew the gift of God...". After meeting Jesus, she apparently marched to Africa accompanied by her son Joseph with the intention of preaching the Gospel. The terrible persecution of Nero ensued (64-68) and the two were arrested in Carthage. Joseph was beheaded and Photina was thrown into prison, where she ended her life old and forgotten. As for Victor, his other son, he was a former Roman officer who had received the mission of exterminating the Christians in Gaul. After some time, it was discovered that instead of exterminating them, what he did was multiply them thanks to the numerous conversions he achieved among the pagans. He was sentenced to death, along with some of his neophytes (Sebastián, Phocio, Anatolio, Phocida). Fotina's Russian name is Svetlana.