She lived at a monastery in Nisibis, Mesopotamia. The abbess of the monastery was her aunt, Bryaena. Bryaena would give Febronia special jobs to do since she was the most dedicated to God in the monastery. When the news of her pious life reached the city, the illustrious widow Hieria began visiting her and Febronia brought her, along with her parents and children, into the Christian faith.

When Dycletian, the dictator of Mesopotamia, began to persecute the Mesopotamian Christians in 304, he sent the commanders Lysimachus, Selinus and Primus with their armies to kill all Christians. When the nuns at the monastery heard the news, most fled. Only three nuns remained: Bryaena, her helper Thomais, and St. Febronia, who was sick at the time.

Primus’s army captured the three nuns. Primus told Lysmachus about the beauty of St. Febronia, urging him to take her as his wife. Lysmachus said he would not dare take a virgin devoted to God as his wife. A soldier told Selinus about the conversation. Selinius took Febronia as his prisoner. He told Febronia to deny Christ or die, and she said she would rather die than deny Christ. Selinius offered her riches, wealth, and marriage to Lysimachus, although Lysimachus had already refused marrying her. She again refused to deny Christ. So Selinius put Febronia through horrible torture. He beat her and then tied her to a tree and set it on fire. The torture was so horrifying; people watching demanded the torture to end. But it did not stop there. Selinius tore out her tongue and smashed her teeth. Finally, they cut off her hands and feet. The people were so horrified that they left the scene.

The commanders were really sad after the torture ended. Lysimachus cried for Febronia’s sake. Selinius couldn’t eat, so he went to his room. Then he cried out, “Great is the God of the Christians, Who has avenged Febronia’s blood, so unrighteously shed!” The he got a coffin and took Febronia’s body to the convent. Bryaena was shocked to see the tortured and deformed remains of Febronia. She opened up the monastery gates so the people of the city could come see her body. Lysimachus and Primus converted to Christianity. Hieria, the woman who had visited Febronia while she was alive, gave all her money to the convent. In 363 the remains of St. Febronia were transported to Constantinople. Her remains performed many healings and miracles on those who came to see them.