Yesterday I posted a photo of the church of Santa Prassede, and today is the feast day of Saint Prassede (sometimes spelled differently, like "Praxedes" ). She is a character in my historical fiction novel, A Week in the Life of Rome. Here's her story, from my book on Rome:

Prassede was the other daughter (along with Pudenziana) of the Roman senator Pudens. The senator and his daughters were said to be converts of the apostle Peter, who stayed with them while he was in Rome. According to tradition, the two sisters collected and cared for the bodies of the martyrs who were executed. It is said that Prassede in particular made a habit of lovingly taking up the martyrs’ blood in a sponge and then pouring it into a well. Therefore, Prassede is often depicted in paintings holding a sponge or sitting near a well. The bodies of the martyrs that were retrieved by the two sisters were said to be placed in the catacombs of Santa Priscilla, though this cannot be verified, since it is not clear that these catacombs were in use yet in the first century. In reality, the connection between the two sisters and the catacombs of Priscilla may explain why some versions of the story make them the granddaughters of Pudens rather than his daughters. The senator and his daughters were eventually also laid to rest in the catacombs of Priscilla. In 2 Timothy 4:21, St. Paul greets a Pudens, who may be the father of the two sisters.

Saint Prassede, pray for us!