Saint Eulalia was a young Christian girl of Barcelona, believed to be about thirteen years old, who was martyred around the year 304 during the persecution of the emperor Diocletian. She openly professed her faith before the Roman authorities and refused to renounce Christ, giving her life rather than her faith. She is venerated as co-patroness of Barcelona, where her relics rest in the crypt of the city's cathedral.
Eulalia shows that holiness has no minimum age — a child's simple, wholehearted love for God can be braver than the courage of the powerful. Her short life reminds us that what matters is not how long we live, but how completely we belong to Christ. She is a gentle companion for all who grieve a young person, proof that the young are not far from heaven but close to its heart.
Saint Eulalia, brave young witness to Christ, pray for us and for all children who have gone home to God before us. Help us to trust that their light, like yours, still shines.