St. Agatha

Very little is known about St. Agatha, other than that she was martyred in Sicily during the persecution of Emperor Decius in 251. According to legend, Agatha dedicated her life to Our Lord at a young age and refused any man who wanted to marry her. Agatha was arrested after refusing the advances of Quintian, a powerful man of high rank, and was imprisoned in a brothel. Throughout the month she spent being tortured in the brothel, Agatha would pray, “Jesus Christ, Lord of all, you see my heart, you know my desires. Possess all that I am. I am your sheep: make me worthy to overcome the devil," and was preserved from being violated.

Agatha was removed from the brothel and again advanced upon by her captor. Again, she refused him, saying she was dedicated to God alone. Her captor then sent her to prison, and had her tortured repeatedly. He refused her any medical care, but God comforted her in the form of a vision of St. Peter. Agatha was tortured yet again, and this time her body was grossly mutilated. She died with this prayer on her lips: "Lord, my Creator, you have always protected me from the cradle; you have taken me from the love of the world and given me patience to suffer.”

About a year after her death, Agatha was attributed with calming an erupting volcano, and is revered as a protector against fires. Because of the way her body was mutilated before her death, she is also known as the patroness of breast cancer patients.

Photos by: Hermetiker