Actresses / Pelagia the Penitent, dates unknown, Feast Day: October 8

A glamorous and popular actress and dancer in Antioch, Pelagia was known for her pearl jewelry and had the nickname “Margaret,” which means “pearl.” When she overheard the bishop of Edessa cite her as a lesson because “she takes more trouble over her beauty and dancing than we do about our souls and flocks,” she converted. She moved to Jerusalem, disguised as a male monk, and lived for the rest of her life as a hermit in a cave on the Mount of Olives.