After hearing Paul preach about the Christian faith, Thecla chose to dedicate her life to virginity, defying expectations set by her family and society. Her story is primarily known through the apocryphal text, the Acts of Paul and Thecla, which recounts her miraculous survival of various execution attempts, including being burned at the stake and thrown to wild beasts.

Thecla’s commitment to the Christian faith led her to become a missionary, spreading the Gospel and encouraging women to adopt a life of chastity. Her resilience against persecution earned her the title of “protomartyr among women,” highlighting her significance in early Christianity.