St. Praxedes, Martyr in the Church she founded on the Esquilino

St. Praxedes was a Roman virgin and martyr who lived in the 2nd century AD. She was the daughter of a Roman senator named Pudens, who hosted the apostles Peter and Paul in his home. Praxedes dedicated her life to caring for the poor and burying the bodies of Christian martyrs. She established a church on the Esquiline Hill in Rome, which became an important center for the early Christian community. Praxedes is said to have been imprisoned and tortured for her faith, ultimately dying a martyr's death around 165 AD. She is venerated as a patron saint of Rome and a model of charity and devotion to the Church.