baptism, and the bishop Pope Eleuterus. Presbytery The presbytery is decorated with two frescoes. To the left, Baldassare Croce depicts the martyrdom of Gabinus, while to the right, Paris Nogari shows the martyrdom of Felicitas of Rome and her seven sons. Ceiling The valuable ceiling of the nave and of the presbytery is made in polychromed gilt wood, carved to the design of Carlo Maderno. Religious associations Entombed in the church are five early church martyrs and saints: Susanna, her father Gabinus, Felicitas of Rome, Pope Eleuterus, and Genesius of Rome. The commemoration of Saint Susanna has long been linked in the Roman calendar with Saint Tiburtius, 11 August. Among the previous cardinal priests of Santa Susanna was Pope Nicholas V (1446). American national church After World War I, the Paulist Fathers, founded in New York City in 1858, had grown to such an extent that they felt the time had come to seek approval of their religious institute from the Holy See, in order to be able to work throughout the worldwide Catholic Church. They also wanted to establish a procurator general there to coordinate their work with the Vatican. To this end, the Superior General of the Society, Thomas Burke, went to Rome in January 1921 to meet with Pope Benedict XV for this. During this trip, they first noticed Santa Susanna, as it was adjacent to the American Embassy to Italy at the time. Its location made it of interest to the Americans. The Paulists opened the office of the Procurator General in the city that following spring, headed by Thomas Lantry O'Neill. In the meantime, Burke's brother, also a member of the Society, had approached President Warren Harding to make him aware of their interest in making use of the church to serve the growing American population of Rome. Harding made a request for this to the Apostolic Delegate to the United States, Archbishop Giovanni Bonzano, during the course of a meeting in June. Bonzano transmitted the request to the Vatican Secretary of State, with the recommendation that it be granted as a gesture of good will to the United States. In December 1921, Pope Benedict XV authorized the Paulist Fathers to administer Santa Susanna as the national church in Rome for the American residents of Rome and visitors from the United States of America. The abbess of the monastery gave the keys to the church