Yes, when I say sensible, nine at one time doesn't seem too likely.
However, the couple could have had a total of nine girls and the last could have
been twins or triplets. And of the nine named, at least one is in the
martyrology. Undoubtedly, through the years legendary aspects would have
creeped in. Just as the beard stuff got in during, I think, the 16th
century. Basically, the Mexican story runs like this: The royal couple -
he was the head of that part of Spain - and they are named. There was the
multiple birth and the mother (not the dad like in the beard stuff) was afraid
the ultiple birth would be taken by her husband as a sign of infidelity and told
the maid to go and drown the babies. The maid was a Christian, so instead
of drowning them she baptized them and she and pious families raised them. They
got a reputation for being very pious and good girls. When the persecution
order came down, dad was in charge of enforcement and since the girls had gained
the reputation for virtue they were called before him. He asked who they
wre and they replied they were daughters of Christ by choice and his daughters
by blood. He acknowledged them when the mother confessed what she had
done. They refused to honor the idols saying they had vowed themselves to
Christ. He then offered to put them into the temple of some goddess
where they could remain virgins but they refused. Not wanting to put his
own blood to death, he arranged for their escape from jail and for a while they
hid out and/or fled. Eventually all, and the maid, were caught and
martyred in different places. I think that they wre all beheaded but in
different places. Supposedly, Librada was martyred right there in Spain
and her remains were put in that church and the big miracle is that her relics
were not harmed through the years in spite of all the ups and downs Spain went
through.
During the 60s when a lot of the saints were taken off the universal
calendar, they remained in the martyrology. Christopher is a good
example. In the martyrology, his entry is short, just saying that he was a
martyr of an unknown time. One of the 9 girls is in the new
martyrology. I don't have an old one. If anyone has an old one
perhaps they would kindly check to see if Librada is there. She must be
considered at least quasi-legit as a martyr somewhere or else they wouldn't
still be sending pieces of her to Panama!
Why would Andre think Julia was the same?
The
background seems to be the mythem of the "Nine Twin Sisters":
Quiteria, Eumelia or Euphemia, Liberata or
Virgeforte, Gema or Marinha or Margarida, Genebra, Germana, Basilissa, Marica
and Vitoria.
Is Julia from Corsica the same as
Liberata ?
