Saint Pelagia the Penitent was originally a dancer in Antioch of Palestine. She spent her early life immersed in immorality and prostitution. One day, adorned in luxurious garments, she passed by a church where Saint Nonnus, Bishop of Edessa, was preaching the Gospel. The Christians present openly turned away from the young woman. Saint Nonnus, however, watched her as she departed and discerned beneath her outward appearance the beauty of her soul and the humility hidden within her heart. He prayed fervently for her salvation, asking God to lead her to the path of repentance.
The following day, Pelagia entered the church where Saint Nonnus was once again preaching to his flock. As she listened to his sermon on the Last Judgment, she was overwhelmed with remorse for her sinful life and asked to be baptized. The saint comforted her, assuring her of God's boundless mercy. After her baptism, she gathered all her possessions and distributed them to the poor. Then, clothed in men's garments, she departed for the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, where she embraced the monastic life.
There she assumed the male name Pelagius and, because of her appearance and manner of life, was believed to be a young monk. She lived in strict asceticism, faithfully observing the monastic rule through continual fasting, prayer and heartfelt repentance.
Saint Pelagia reposed in the Lord in A.D. 457. Her true identity as a woman was discovered only on the day of her burial.
