St. Emilia is said to be the mother of five saints: St. Basil the Great (whose feast day was celebrated yesterday), St. Gregory of Nyssa, St. Peter of Sebaste, St. Theosebia the deaconness, and St. Macrina.
It is believed that Emilia's father was martyred for his faith. She married Basil the Elder, with whom she had ten children. After her children left home, Emilia and her daughter Macrina founded a monastery for women. The monastery was located on the banks of the Irish River in Turkey (not far from where her son Basil founded the first monastery in Asia).
The Russian Orthodox Church celebrates the feast of St. Emilia today.
- Little Blue Book, Diocese of Saginaw