Saint of the day for January 21: story of Sant'Agnese

(dc 258)

Almost nothing is known about this saint except that she was very young - 12 or 13 - when she was martyred in the last half of the third century. Various modes of death have been suggested: beheading, burning, strangulation.

Legend has it that Agnes was a beautiful girl that many young people wanted to marry. Among those who refused, one reported her to the authorities because she was a Christian. She was arrested and locked up in a prostitution house. The legend continues that a man who looked at her with desire lost his sight and had it restored with his prayer. Agnes was sentenced, executed, and buried near Rome in a catacomb that eventually took her name. Constantine's daughter built a basilica in her honor.

Reflection

Like that of Maria Goretti in the twentieth century, the martyrdom of a virginal girl has profoundly marked a society subservient to a materialistic vision. Even like Agatha, who died under similar circumstances, Agnes is a symbol that holiness does not depend on length of years, experience or human effort. It is a gift that God offers to everyone.

Sant'Agnese is the patron saint of:

Girls
Girl Scouts