Saint Agnes:

Feast day : 21 January

Today the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Agnes, a young virgin martyr who lived during the period AD 291 - AD 304. It was a period when Christians were being persecuted under the rule of Emperor Dioclesian. Agnes was both beautiful and wealthy and attracted several suitors. But she refused all her suitors boldly saying that she belonged to Christ. Following this, she was arrested, tempted and tortured mercilessly to give up her faith and chastity. Despite all the attempts, the authorities could not change her mind and eventually she was beheaded. She was only thirteen years of age when she attained her glorious martyrdom by upholding her faith and chastity. Owing to this, the Church has always honoured her as a special patroness of purity and chastity. Her feast is celebrated on January 21, the day she is believed to have been martyred.

Early life:

Saint Agnes was born into a wealthy Christian family in Rome in the year 291. By the age of thirteen, her beauty and wealth attracted a lot of suitors who approached her with proposals for marriage. But Agnes had consecrated her virginity to her Heavenly Spouse, Jesus Christ and refused all the proposals. It is believed that one of the marriage proposals was from the son of the then Governor. Saint Agnes refused his proposal saying that Christ alone was her spouse and her only love. The Governor offered her lavish gifts, riches and a title of honor in return for marrying his son but Agnes refused all of them. This invited the ire of the Governor and he was determined to seek revenge. It was a period when being a Christian was against the law and was a good enough reason to be condemned and punished under the law. She was condemned for her faith and arrested.

Sufferings:

There are several legends around her sufferings and martyrdom. It is believed that she was dragged before the statue of a false goddess and commanded to worship it, to which she promptly refused and instead lifted her arms and prayed aloud to her Lord, Jesus Christ. Authorities in power tried putting handcuffs on her, which only slipped off. She was then beaten, tortured and stripped naked. The judge threatened to send her to a brothel where she would be violated. But she answered him saying “You may stain your sword with my blood, but will never be able to profane my body, consecrated to Christ.” She was immediately sentenced to be led naked through the city streets for all to see and to be mocked at and later thrown in a brothel. However, according to legend, at the moment St. Agnes's clothes were removed, her hair miraculously grew long enough to conceal her nakedness and protect her from shame. When the soldiers threw her in the brothel, it is believed that an angel appeared with a stunning white garment and clothed her. No "customers" dared to talk to her, except one who was struck blind for his lewd comments. His companions were terrified and carried him to Agnes who restored his sight through prayers. Following that miracle she was charged with witchcraft and was sentenced to death.

Martyrdom:

On hearing her sentence, Agnes was greatly overjoyed. Her executioner too tried to dissuade her from her vow of chastity but as always Agnes answered that she could never offer so great an injury to her Heavenly Spouse. After making a short prayer, she bowed her neck to adore God and received her mortal wound. Her body was buried beside the Vio Nomentana in Rome. A church was built on the site during the reign of Constantine the Great which was later renovated by Pope Honorius in the seventh century. Her relics are kept beneath the high altar of this church.

Her feast day is celebrated on January 21, the day she is believed to have died. Owing to the nature of her death, she is greatly honoured in the Church as a patron of purity and chastity.