Agnes of Rome | |
|---|---|
 Saint Agnes by Domenichino (c. 1620) | |
| Virgin and martyr | |
| Born | c. 291 Rome, Italy |
| Died | c. 304 (aged 12–13) Rome, Italy |
| Venerated in | Catholic Church Eastern Orthodox Churches[1] Oriental Orthodox Churches Anglican Churches Lutheran Churches. |
| Canonized | Pre-congregation |
| Major shrine | Church of Sant'Agnese fuori le mura and the Church of Sant'Agnese in Agone, both in Rome |
| Feast | 21 January; before Pope John XXIII revised the calendar, there was a second feast on 28 January |
| Attributes | Lamb, martyr's palm, sword |
| Patronage | Girls; chastity and virgins; victims of sexual abuse; betrothed couples; gardeners; Girl Guides; the Diocese of Rockville Centre, New York; Children of Mary; Collegio Capranica, Rome; the city of Fresno |
Agnes of Rome (c. 291 – c. 304) is a virgin martyr, venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church, Oriental Orthodox Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church, as well as the Anglican Communion and Lutheran Churches.[2] She is one of several virgin martyrs commemorated by name in the Canon of the Mass, and one of many Christians martyred during the reign of the Roman emperor Diocletian.
Agnes was born in 291 into Roman nobility, and raised as a Christian. She suffered martyrdom on 21 January 304, aged 12 or 13. Her high-ranking suitors, slighted by her resolute devotion to religious purity, sought to persecute her for her beliefs. Her father urged her to deny God, but she refused, and she was dragged naked through the streets to a brothel, then tried and sentenced to death. She was eventually beheaded, after attempts for her to be burnt at the stake failed. A few days after her death, her foster-sister Emerentiana was found praying by her tomb, and was stoned to death.
An early account of Agnes, stressing her young age, steadfastness and virginity was written by the 4th-century theologian, St Ambrose. Since the Middle Ages, she has traditionally been depicted as a young girl with her long hair with a lamb (the symbol of her virginal innocence and her name), a sword, and a palm branch (an attribute of her martyrdom). Her bones are beneath the high altar of the church built over her tomb in Rome. Her skull is preserved in the church of Sant'Agnese in Agone, Rome.
- ^ February 3 / January 21. https://www.holytrinityorthodox.com/htc/orthodox-calendar/
- ^ admin (2024-01-17). "Saint Agnes of Rome". Understanding Faith. Retrieved 2024-04-14.