St Emilia, the Mother of St Basil the Great
Forms of name: Emelia, Emilia, Emily, Emmelia
The daughter of a martyr, St. Emilia initially wanted to devote herself to the Lord in virginity, but as an orphan renowned for her beauty, felt it necessary to marry for protection from over-zealous suitors. She chose the godly and upright St. Basil the Elder, and they had ten children, five of whom are counted among the saints: St. Macrina the Younger, St. Basil the Great, St. Gregory of Nyssa, St. Peter of Sebaste, and St. Theosebia the Deaconess (another child, Naucratius, was a devout monk who died unexpectedly at the age of 27).
After her husband died and her other children left home, St. Emilia and St. Macrina established a women's monastery on a rural piece of the family's property.