Hugely popular name, Latinized (Christianus) form of the ancient Greek word (χριστιανός) [khristianos] means - "Christ -follower; Christian". The female equivalent of the given male name Christian.
Saint Christina of Bolsena, also known as Christina of Tyre, or in the Eastern Orthodox Church as Christina the Great Martyr, is venerated as a Christian martyr of the 3rd century.
The entry for her in the 2004 Roman Martyrology is very brief: "At Bolsena in Tuscany, Saint Christina, Virgin and Martyr". This Saint was once included in the Roman Catholic Calendar of Saints to be commemorated universally, wherever the Roman Rite was celebrated, but, while her cult remains approved, she was removed from that list in 1969, "because nothing is known of this virgin and martyr apart from her name and her burial at Bolsena." The Tridentine Calendar gave her a Commemoration within the Mass of the Vigil of Saint James. When in 1955 Pope Pius XII suppressed this vigil, the celebration of Saint Christina became a "Simple" and in 1962 a "Commemoration". According to the rules in later editions of the Roman Missal, Saint Christina may now be celebrated with a "Memorial" everywhere on her feast day, unless in some locality an obligatory celebration is assigned to that day.
St. Christina was the daughter of a rich and powerful magistrate named Urban. Her father, who was deep in the practices of heathenism, had a number of golden idols, which our Saint destroyed, and distributed the pieces among the poor. Infuriated by this act, Urbain became the persecutor of his daughter. He had her whipped with rods and then thrown into a dungeon. Christina remained unshaken in her faith. Her tormentor then had her body torn by iron hooks, and fastened her to a rack beneath which a fire was kindled. But God watched over His servant and turned the flames upon the lookers-on. Christina was next seized, a heavy stone tied around her neck, and she was thrown into the lake of Balsena, but she was saved by an angel, and outlived her father, who died of spite. Later, this martyred suffered the most inhuman torments under the judge who succeeded her father, and finally was thrown into a burning furnace, where she remained, unhurt, for five days. By the power of Christ, she overcame the serpents among which she was thrown; then her tongue was cut out, and afterwards, being pierced with arrows, she gained the martyr's crown at Tyro, a city which formerly stood on an island in the lake of Balsena in Italy, but was long since swallowed up by the waters. Her relics are now at Palermo in Sicily.
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