Saint Agatha
Virgin and martyr of Catania, honoured since the earliest centuries
- Rank
- Saint
- Kind
- Martyr, Virgin
- Life
- ~231 – ~251
- Era
- 3rd century
- Feast
- 5 February
- Countries
- Italy
Life story
Agatha lived in Sicily in the middle of the third century. Both Catania and Palermo have claimed her as a native, but the strongest tradition ties her to Catania, where she died and was buried. The accounts of her life were written much later, so each detail must be treated with caution; what is certain is that her cult had spread throughout the Church from ancient times.
According to tradition, Agatha came from a comfortable family and had resolved to remain unmarried. The governor Quintianus wished to marry her, but she refused and was arrested during the persecution of Decius, around 250 to 251. The later narratives say she was imprisoned, tortured repeatedly, and finally died in prison. The particular details of her sufferings, and the story that her veil, carried in procession, halted a lava flow from Mount Etna, are later legend rather than verified history.
From early on, Agatha's name appears in the Roman Canon of the Mass, and ancient calendars mark her feast on 5 February. Many churches in Rome and elsewhere were dedicated to her. The people of Catania have always regarded her as the protector of their city, and her festival at the start of February remains one of the largest religious celebrations in Sicily. Across the centuries the Church has kept her among the earliest and most widely remembered women martyrs, even though her specific biography remains uncertain in many respects.
Works and witness
- A Sicilian woman arrested at Catania, by tradition around 250 to 251
- Put to death in the persecution under the emperor Decius
- Named in the Roman Canon of the Mass since ancient times
- Regarded by the people of Catania as the city's patron
- Her February festival is among Sicily's largest
Patron of
Catania, Malta, San Marino
Saints from the same country
References
- Martyrologium Romanum
- Acta S. Agathae (Passio)
- Dicastery for the Causes of Saints – biographical profile
Written by Anawim from documented history. Some details about ancient saints rest on tradition and are marked as such.