Happy Feast of St. Agnes, Virgin and Martyr. This is a brief synopsis of St. Agnes on her Feast Day!
+ + + OUR MISSION + + +
RESTORING THE FAITH intends to enrich Catholic families with great spiritual content and sound advice to reestablish the Kingship of Christ. Join our Crusade for Souls!
▶ Support our Catholic MISSION 👍 https://patreon.com/restoringthefaith
▶ Subscribe on YOUTUBE: 👍 https://www.youtube.com/c/restoringthefaith
▶ WEBSITE: https://restoringthefaith.com/
▶ INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/rtf_media
▶ FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/restoringthefaith
▶ PINTEREST: https://www.pinterest.com/restoringthefaith
+++ DESCRIPTION +++
St. Agnes, Virgin and Martyr
St. Agnes of Rome was born in 291 AD and was raised in a noble Roman family of Christians. When arrested at the age of 12, the prefect Sempronius condemned Agnes to be dragged naked through the streets to a house of ill repute.
As she prayed, her hair grew and covered her body. All the men that attempted to assault her purity, were struck blind.
The son of the Prefect was struck dead, but revived after she prayed for him, which caused her to be released.
However not for long. Another judge took the place of the Prefect Sempronius and condemned her to death. She was led out and bound to a stake to be burned alive. However the wood would not burn, upon which the officer in charge drew his sword and pierced her the throat.
Together with Sts. Felicity, Perpetua, Agatha, Lucia, Cecilia, and Anastasia, Saint Agnes is one of 7 women, in addition to the Blessed Virgin Mary, who are commemorated by name in the Roman Canon of the Mass.
Relics/Church
During the reign of Constantine, through the efforts of his daughter Constantina, a large basilica was erected over the grave of St. Agnes.
Although the large basilica decayed during the decline of Rome, another church was built a few centuries later, called the ‘Saint Agnes outside the Walls’. That is where (until today) her bones are still conserved beneath the high altar, which was built over the catacombs, where the saint was originally buried.
The skull of St. Agnes is preserved in a separate chapel in the church of Sant'Agnese in Agone at the Piazza Navona in Rome.
Traditions
It is at the ‘Saint Agnes outside the Walls’ that on the feast day of the glorious saint, 2 lambs (which were raised at the Trappist monastery of Tre Fontane) are specially blessed, usually by the pope after a Pontifical High Mass.
The lambs are then brought over to the Benedictine nuns of Cecilia in Trastevere, where they are raised.
Each year on Holy Thursday, the lambs are sheered and the wool from these lambs is then woven into 12 palliums (or pallia), which are the ceremonial neck-stoles sent by the popes to newly elevated Metropolitan-archbishops to symbolize their union with the papacy.
The pallia are placed near the tomb of St. Peter on June 28th, the vigil of the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, where they remain overnight.
The pallia which are not distributed on the feast day of Sts. Peter and Paul are kept for future use in the ‘niche of the pallia’ in a confessional near the tomb of St. Peter.
Catholic Imagery
In Catholic imagery, St. Agnes is always depicted with a lamb, since her name in Latin means lamb. However the lamb is also a biblical symbol for purity and innocence.
The lamb is usually in her arms, or standing at her feet, or lying on a book.
Sometimes she is depicted on the stake or with a sword at her feet. Other attributes are a martyr’s palm and a white lily.
She can also seen depicted with a martyr’s crown, or two crowns on a book (which represent virginity and martyrdom). A more rare attribute is a dove that brings her a ring, which stands for her mystical marriage with Christ.
Patronage
St. Agnes is patron saint of virgins, young girls, gardeners and those seeking chastity and purity.
Feast Day
St. Agnes died in the year 304 AD.
Her feast day is kept on the 21st of January.
