Saint Agatha, virgin and martyr (February 5th)

Of the Saints and Feast Days celebrated this week:

February 2nd - Feast of the Presentation of the Lord

February 3rd - Saint Blaise, Bishop and Martyr

February 3rd - Saint Ansgar, Bishop 

February 3rd - Bl. Joachim of Siena, OSM

February 5th - Saint Agatha, Virgin and Martyr 

February 6th - Saint Paul Miki and Companions, Martyrs 

February 8th - 5th SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME (A)

February 8th - Saint Jerome Emiliani

February 8th - Saint Josephine Bakhita, Virgin


I’ve chosen to write about Saint Agatha, Virgin and Martyr


Like many other other women martyrs of the early Church – St. Agnes of Rome  (Jan. 21st), St. Cecilia (Nov. 22nd), St. Barbara (Dec. 4th), St. Lucy (Dec. 13th) – the future St. Agatha, born in 231 AD in Catania in the Roman Province of Sicily to Christian parents, was pressured by a powerful man, a Roman (pagan) prefect named Quintianus, to marry him.  She refused.


Quintianus threatened her with torture, then had her tortured and brutally mutilated, she still refused.  Finally, he was going to have her burnt at the stake.  An earthquake (not infrequent in Sicily) intervened.  She was then sent to prison where she eventually died.  In a vision before she died, St. Peter came to her and healed her of her wounds. 


Stories like St. Agatha’s are awful to read.  Yet, they remind us of the sufferings experienced by women across the ages for their faith and even simple dignity.  In all but in the most extreme of circumstances (abortion comes into play here) people should have the right of self-determination with regard to their lives. 


St. Agatha (and your sisters in martyrdom), pray for us!


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