After the death of Gregory’s father, his mother, Saint Silvia, dedicated herself to a life of prayer. Her three sisters (Gregory’s aunts) also chose lives of consecrated virginity, living together in their family home on the Clivus Scauri in Rome. Their home essentially became a domestic monastery.
While Tarsilla is noted for her strict asceticism and mystical visions, and Gordiana for her later struggles with discipline, . According to Gregory’s own writings (particularly the Dialogues ), Emiliana was the youngest of the three sisters. She admired her sister Tarsilla deeply and sought to imitate her holiness. A Vision of Lasting Joy The most famous event in Emiliana’s life comes from Gregory’s account. After Tarsilla’s death—marked by a vision of Christ calling her to heaven—Emiliana reportedly saw her departed sister in a vision. Tarsilla invited Emiliana to join her on the feast day of Saint John the Baptist (June 24). Saint Emiliana
This article explores who Saint Emiliana was, her connection to other famous saints, and, most importantly, what her life can teach us about cultivating virtue in ordinary circumstances. Saint Emiliana (also spelled Aemiliana) lived in 6th-century Rome. She was the aunt of the more famous Saint Gregory the Great (Pope from 590–604 AD). Gregory often credited his own spiritual formation to the holy women who raised him—three aunts who were sisters: Tarsilla, Gordiana, and Emiliana . After the death of Gregory’s father, his mother,