St. JoannaSt. Joanna was the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward (Lk. 8:3) and a disciple of Jesus, and mentioned in Luke (8.3) as providing for Jesus and the Apostles. According to Eastern tradition, when Herod had John the Baptist beheaded, he cast the head out into an unclean place. Joanna took the head and buried it with honour on the Mount of Olives, on Herod’s land. Later, in the reign of Constantine the Great, the head was found.

St. Joanna is also remembered because she was present at both the Passion and Resurrection of Christ. St. Joanna is one of the women Luke says (24.10) discovered the empty tomb on the first Easter when she went to anoint the body. She is especially venerated by the Jesuits.

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4 COMMENTS

  1. This is ANOTHER saint I had never heard of before, and am amazed at the number of saints you have profiled and I knew nothing about. I am learning so much, and finding more and more saints who give examples of how to live a Christian life. Please continue this wonderful series!

    Karen Hanegan
    Olympia, WA

  2. I have many patron saints, including several St. Johns and St. Joan of Arc. But I was always under the impression there was no saint “Joanne” because my mother told me she feared the priest would object to baptizing me “Joanne” since there was no such saint. She picked the name as a combination of my father’s name, John, and an Aunt Anne.

    Then, the other day, I just happened to be in a Catholic book store, browsing through a book on the saints. By this time I knew of Joanna from the bible story on the Resurrection, so I looked her up in this book–only to discover her feast day is May 24, my birthday!!!! Wow. Coincidence? I think not.

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