Vigils Reading - St Agatha
2025-02-05
ST AGATHA
From Butler’s Lives of the Saints
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St Agatha has retained her place in the Universal Calendar following the
reforms of 1969, even though nothing that can be called historical fact is known
of her life. There is, however, good evidence of an early cult, with many versions
of her legend recorded in both Greek and Latin, the Greek being the earlier, with
the Latin dating from the sixth century. This means that however fictitious the
details of her Acts, she cannot be dismissed as a mere fiction altogether. Her
Acts, though, are more of an indication of the type of woman held up for
veneration as a saint in the early centuries than anything else.
She is described as a wealthy woman who had dedicated her virginity to
Christ. This, then, rather than her life, is the most precious thing she has to
offer. Her birthplace is assigned to either Palermo or Catania in Sicily, and she is
said to have died at Catania, which has the stronger historical claim to be her
birthplace. Among those who try to take the precious gift she has vowed to
Christ from her is a consul named Quintianus. He used the imperial edict
against Christians to have her brought before him, then placed in a brothel run
by a woman with the appropriate name of “Aphrodisia” and her assistants,
referred to as her daughters. All tricks, assaults and threats to make her yield
her virginity fail, and so she stands as an example of “virginity as a sacred power,
a concrete realization within this world of the divine spirit”.
Quintianus then handed her over to be tortured, and her Acts dwell on the
tortures inflicted on her, culminating in the cutting off of her breasts, which
were placed on a platter. Perhaps because further details of her tortures involve
her being rolled over live coals, she is invoked against fire in general. This may,
though, be an extension of her protection against eruptions from Mount Etna,9
because she is associated with Sicily, and her legend states that after her death a
flow of lava from Mount Etna was miraculously diverted by her silken veil held
up on a staff. This is last recorded as happening in the 1840s, and her veil is still
carried in solemn procession on her feast day in Catania. By extension she
protects against earthquakes everywhere. She is also patron saint of bell-
founders. The association is ancient and certain, but the reason has not been
determined. It may be that it derives from her protection against volcanic
eruptions and fire, as bells were rung to warn of both. Another explanation
given is that the molten metal involved in casting bells suggests the flow of
molten lava. Her breasts also brought a more appropriate patronage, as she is
invoked against diseases of the breast. Her breasts on a dish were often
mistaken for loaves in the Middle ages, from which arose the custom of blessing
bread on a dish at her altar on her feast day.
Pope Damasus I composed a hymn in her honor. Two churches were
dedicated to her in the sixth century. Pope St Gregory the Great had rich shrines
made for some of her relics in Rome, then moved them to the monastery of San
Stefano on the island of Capri. Other relics remained in Catania until 1840,
when they were moved to Constantinople.
Whatever the facts behind her legend, Agatha remains one of the best-
loved and most invoked saints in the Christian devotional life.
