St. Agatha, Virgin and Martyr – Feast Day 5th Feb
- RevShirleyMurphy
- 13 minutes ago
- 4 min read
Saint Agatha is an emblematic figure of Christianity, venerated for her unshakeable faith and courageous martyrdom in the 3rd century. Born in Catania, Sicily, around 231 AD, Agatha grew up in a pious Christian family who instilled in her the values of faith and charity.
At an early age, Agatha dedicated her life to God and took a vow of virginity, choosing to devote herself entirely to the service of God. She was known for her exceptional beauty, but she rejected the romantic advances of the Roman governor Quintianus, who was determined to make her renounce her faith and force her to marry him.
Faced with her stubborn refusal, Quintianus ordered Agatha's arrest. She was imprisoned and subjected to cruel torture in the hope of making her comply. However, Agatha remained resolutely faithful to her convictions, finding strength in her faith in God. According to tradition, she was tortured in various ways, including the mutilation of her breasts, but she continued to persevere in her faith with incredible endurance.
Legend has it that, during her imprisonment, Agatha was visited by Saint Peter, who miraculously healed her of her wounds. This miracle strengthened her resolve to remain faithful to her faith despite the physical suffering.
Finally, Agathe was condemned to be burnt at the stake. However, before the sentence could be carried out, an earthquake struck the region, causing panic among the witnesses and preventing the sentence from being carried out. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Agatha managed to escape and went into hiding, only to be captured again.
The governor, furious at her escape, ordered her immediate execution by beheading. Thus, on 5 February 251, Agatha was martyred for her faith. She died bearing witness to her fidelity to God, thus becoming one of the most venerated saints of the Catholic Church.
The life of Saint Agatha has inspired many faithful over the centuries, and she has become the patron saint of Catania, Sicily, and is also invoked as a protector against natural disasters and breast diseases. Her feast day is celebrated every year on 5 February, commemorating her martyrdom and her unwavering devotion to her Christian faith.
As in the case of Saint Agnes, another virgin-martyr of the early Church, almost nothing is historically certain about this saint except that she was martyred in Sicily during the persecution of Emperor Decius in 251.
Legend has it that Agatha, like Agnes, was arrested as a Christian, tortured, and sent to a house of prostitution to be mistreated. She was preserved from being violated and was later put to death.
Saint Agatha is claimed as the patroness of both Palermo and Catania. The year after her death, the stilling of an eruption of Mt. Etna was attributed to her intercession. As a result, apparently, people continued to ask her prayers for protection against fire.
She is the Patron Saint of patron saint of breast cancer patients, martyrs, wet nurses, bell-founders, bakers, fire, earthquakes, and eruptions of Mount Etna.
Today, you can still see the relics of Saint Agatha (including one of her breasts, apparently) in the cathedral in Catania – the 14th-century bust holding her skull is particularly striking and richly decorated. Because she has been so beloved by the local people for centuries, there have been many additions – the golden crown is said to have been given to the saint by the English king Richard the Lionheart on his way back from a crusade, a collar was given by the opera composer Vincenzo Bellini (not the same Bellini as the drink – that is in honour of the artist Giovanni Bellini); plus a ring given by queen Margherita in the late 19th-century (yes, Margherita like the pizza – you may have heard the story that she’s the reason why the pizza is called Margherita; to honour the newly-created Italy – that’s why it has the three colours of the Italian flag.)
Agatha is buried at the Badia di Sant’Agata, Catania. Two early churches are dedicated to her in Rome noteably the Church of Sant’Agata dei Goti in Via Mazzarino, which has mosaics from 460 and traces of a fresco, overpainted by Gismondo Cerrini in 1630. In the 6th century, the church was adapted to Arianism, hence its name ‘Saint Agatha of Goths’, and later reconsecrated by Gregory the Great, who confirmed her traditional sainthood.
Agatha is also depicted in the mosaics of Sant’Apollinare Nuovo in Ravenna, where she appears, richly dressed, in the procession of female martyrs along the north wall. Her image forms an initial I in the Sacramentary of Gellone, which dates from the end of the 8th century.
Saint Agatha is often depicted carrying her excised breasts on a platter, as by Bernardino Luini’s Saint Agatha (1510-15) in the Galleria Borghese, Rome, in which Agatha contemplates the breasts on a standing salver held in her hand.
Basques have a tradition of gathering on Saint Agatha’s Eve and going round the village visiting homes. People can choose to hear a song about her life, accompanied by the beats of their walking sticks on the floor or a prayer for the household’s deceased. After that, the homeowner donates food to the chorus.
An annual festival to commemorate the life of Saint Agatha takes place in Catania, Sicily, from February 3 to 5. The festival culminates in a great all-night procession through the city for which hundreds of thousands of the city’s residents turn out.
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