Very little is known about this Saint Olivia. She is mentioned in many sources, but usually with only one sentence.
She lived in Brescia, Italy, during the second century, and was martyred for her faith in the Lord Jesus Christ while Hadrian was emperor.
Each year on her memorial, she is announced as a “Holy Virgin.”
The name “Olivia” comes from the Latin word for “olive.”
We commemorate this Holy Virgin on March 5.
Holy Virgin of the Lord, Olivia, pray that after we are gone from this life that the memory of our purity remains. Amen.
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From Amy E. (03/04/2021)
I just happened to come across St. Olivia of Brescia's feast day in my daughter's planner. We are planning our youngest child's first birthday in a week on March 13. I did not even know there was a saint Olivia let alone her feast day being within one week of our daughter OLIVIA's birthday! It is also worth noting that we did not name Olivia. We were about to leave the hospital after her birth and just felt like we were blanking on a name. We had been searching for her name all during my pregnancy to no avail. Well we decided to poll my nurses and drs at the hospital and we narrowed it down to 2. Since we still didn't feel compelled one way or another we decided to put it in God's hands. After praying for God's direction our Christian nurse flipped a coin for us. God's choice was clear, Olivia. I still wasn't sure she looked like an Olivia but I allowed God to choose, so I trust He knows best. Here we are little over a week until her first birthday and we see Saint Olivia's feast day and know God has something special planned for her! Praise God!
From John D (updated 9/15/2014)
Thank you for maintaining your website where information can be found on St. Olivia. It is important for people to get to know their patron saint and the information you have provided online can even help to name a child as it did for us.
My daughter was named Olivia by my wife before her conception, birth, and adoption 3 years after my wife's prayer began. Given the name Ella Kristine by her birth mother (who did not know its translation, "She in Christ"), we were asked upon her adoption what name we had chosen for her. My wife wanted "Olivia", the name she had given in the Spiritual Adoption prayer of Bishop Fulton Sheen. In a situation similar to Zachariah at the birth of my patron saint, John the Baptist, I thought that another name might be better suited for her as there were no Olivia's in our families. I proceeded to search the internet for Catholic saints who were observed on her March 5th birthday and found the miraculous coincidence (God's design!) that our daughter was born on the feast day of St. Olivia. It was very clear that she was to be named Olivia Christine. God continues to do His work through His great witnesses, the saints, and through our Orthodox and Catholic faithful that hold to these traditions.
Thank you for your prayers for all of the unborn children about whom we might ask "what then shall this child be?"
Thank you for maintaining your website where information can be found on St. Olivia. It is important for people to get to know their patron saint and the information you have provided online can even help to name a child as it did for us.
My daughter was named Olivia by my wife before her conception, birth, and adoption 3 years after my wife's prayer began. Given the name Ella Kristine by her birth mother (who did not know its translation, "She in Christ"), we were asked upon her adoption what name we had chosen for her. My wife wanted "Olivia", the name she had given in the Spiritual Adoption prayer of Bishop Fulton Sheen. In a situation similar to Zachariah at the birth of my patron saint, John the Baptist, I thought that another name might be better suited for her as there were no Olivia's in our families. I proceeded to search the internet for Catholic saints who were observed on her March 5th birthday and found the miraculous coincidence (God's design!) that our daughter was born on the feast day of St. Olivia. It was very clear that she was to be named Olivia Christine. God continues to do His work through His great witnesses, the saints, and through our Orthodox and Catholic faithful that hold to these traditions.
Thank you for your prayers for all of the unborn children about whom we might ask "what then shall this child be?"
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These testimonies reflect the experience of the writers, to the glory of God Who is wondrous in His Saints.
Their inclusion here, however, does not imply that there are no important differences between Christian confessions of faith. The statement of faith of the Greek Orthodox Church can be found here, on our site; and information about the Hellenic Orthodox Traditionalist Church of America can be found on its website.
Their inclusion here, however, does not imply that there are no important differences between Christian confessions of faith. The statement of faith of the Greek Orthodox Church can be found here, on our site; and information about the Hellenic Orthodox Traditionalist Church of America can be found on its website.
