Sometimes its easy to miss the role of married couples in the early Church, as much emphasis is typically placed on virgins and celibate priests who were martyred for their witness to Jesus Christ.
Yet, married couples were vital to the survival of the early Church, especially since they often hosted meetings of the early Christians in their house, making them into small domestic churches.
One of the prime examples of a married couples' contribution in the first few years of Christianity is that of Sts. Aquila and Priscilla.
Safe haven
The Roman Martyrology summarizes their role on their feast day of July 8, "Commemoration of Saints Aquila and Priscilla, spouses, collaborators of Saint Paul, who welcomed the Church into their home and risked their own lives to save the Apostle."
This summary refers to various events that are featured in St. Paul's letters and in the Acts of the Apostles, where St. Paul is aided by the married couple:
After this he left Athens and went to Corinth. And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, lately come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. And he went to see them; and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them, and they worked, for by trade they were tentmakers. (Acts 18:1-3)
Later in the New Testament they are mentioned because of the church that is located in their house:
The churches of Asia send greetings. Aq′uila and Prisca, together with the church in their house, send you hearty greetings in the Lord. (1 Corinthians 16:19)
Another interesting note is how this couple corrected Apollos, who had recently converted to Christianity and had attempted to preach in a synagogue:
He began to speak boldly in the synagogue; but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him and expounded to him the way of God more accurately. (Acts 18:26)
Last of all, it should be noted that they are always mentioned together. Their names appear side-by-side, never separated, joined together in all that they do.
While we don't know much else about their life, the Church remembers them together on July 8, and they stand as powerful intercessors for all married couples.
