Saint Joanna was the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward (Lk. 8:3) and a disciple of Jesus, and mentioned in Luke (8.3) as providing for Jesus and the Apostles. According to Eastern tradition, when Herod had John the Baptist beheaded, he cast the head out into an unclean place. Joanna took the head and buried it with honour on the Mount of Olives, on Herod’s land. Later, in the reign of Constantine the Great, the head was found.

St. Joanna is also remembered because she was present at both the Passion and Resurrection of Christ. St. Joanna is one of the women Luke says (24.10) discovered the empty tomb on the first Easter when she went to anoint the body. She is especially venerated by the Jesuits.

Photo credit: Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons
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14 COMMENTS

  1. SAINT. JOANNA……….PRAISE…TO….YOU…..and…….THANKSGIVING…….for……LEADING…..YOUR…….LIFE…….WITH
    OUR…LORD….JESUS CHRIST !!!!! PRAY….FOR….THOSE….WHO….DO…HARM….TO…..THE….INNOCENT. !!!!!!
    AND…..MAY…..THEM…..BE…..JUDGED…..BY….GOD…..ALMIGHTY !!!!!!!!!
    ON….THIS….DAY…..PRAY…..FOR….A…LITTLE…..BOY…….WHO….WAS….BORN….ON….THIS….DAY……!!!!!!!!
    MAY…HE….ALWAYS……HAVE….GOOD….HEALTH………HAPPINESS……..AND….MANY…..SUCCESSES….!!!!!!!!!!!
    SAINT. JOANNA……..PRAY….FOR….ALL….PEOPLE….NO…MATTER……WHAT…THEIR…RELIGION…..MAY….BE….
    TO……..CHANGE…..THEIR….WAYS……AND…….MAKE…..OUR….WORLD A……BETTER…….PLACE!!!!!!!!!

  2. St Joanna please pray for leaders in all countries of the world. Pray for them to lead with justice and equity and without fear. Pray for them to have wisdom to help all people in their countries, big and small, poor and rich. Pray for the sick to be healed. Pray for love in all homes throughout the world.

  3. Question: Why didn’t Joanna tell Jesus and John’s disciples where she had buried the Baptist’s head, so that they could take it to Sebaste and bury it in honour with his body? Surely she must have told Jesus where it was, so Jesus must have known! Even after she went to Rome and changed her name to Junia “chief among the apostles” as St. Paul said, she still refused to tell any of the Apostles or disciples where she had buried the Baptist’s head. Is that not strange?

    • What she does not reveal, cannot be tortured out of anybody, and as we know, almost all of the apostles, were indeed tortured to death

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