the activities and thoughts of a pediatric surgeon

St. Peter Damian: Hymnus Sanctae Reparatae (67, 68)

Hymn to St. Reparatae (67)

1.

Shining merit of the girl

Choirs bring forth her faithfulness

When she departed the wall of the flesh,

And the conquering woman sought the stars.

2.

The shining woman tramples

New kinds of punishment

Liquifying lead is warmed,

The force of the furnace is allayed.

3.

But Reparata sang psalms

While in the midst if the fire,

A sword brought forth soon 

Her organs are cut up.

4.

Then having been made bald she is led

A bride of Christ through the people;

Not with unseemliness, not undistinguished,

But she is (proceeding) with a crown of glory.

5.

May there be glory to the unborn…


Hymn to St. Reparatae (68)

1.

O truly noble virgin

Worthy of great heralds,

How hard they beat in vain,

They cannot soften the agreeable woman.

2.

The manly chest of the virgin

Yielded to no punishments;

Through fire, steel, wounds

She climbed to the height of heaven.

3.

Happy assent is given to murder,

Her sacred head is cut off.

A dove flies down from the shore

And publicly enters heaven.

4.

You, holy virgin, we ask

Our mind and organs bending down,

When we will come to the judge

You commend us with prayer (and) supplication.

5.

Glory be to the unborn…


  1.  Reparata was a third-century virgin, who was martyred for her Christian faith in her hometown of Caesarea, Roman Province of Palestine,  Her persecutors tried to burn her alive, but she was saved by a shower of rain. She was then compelled to drink boiling pitch. When she again refused to apostatize, she was decapitated.[2] Her legend states that immediately upon dying a dove appeared to symbolize the departure of her spirit therefrom to Heaven.[1]

    Later elaborations of her legend state that her body was laid in a boat and blown by the breath of angels to the bay presently denominated the "Baie des Anges" in Nice.

St. Peter Damian: Hymnus Eiusdem Sancti Fidelis (69)

St. Peter Damian: De Sancto Ianuario (63)