Holy Martyr Agatha (+251)
The holy Martyr Agatha was the daughter of noble and rich Christians living in the Sicilian city of Palermo (its ancient name was Panormus). During the persecution under Decius (249–251), Quintianus, the governor of the city of Catania, heard of her wealth and beauty and ordered the Christian maiden to be seized. In Catania the saint was lodged with a rich woman who had five daughters. They tried to seduce Agatha with all kinds of clothes, food and drink and amusements, and urged her to offer sacrifice to the idols; but the bride of Christ would yield to no tricks; she rejected every sweetness with disgust, and fervently besought the Lord to count her worthy of enduring torment for His name. At her questioning by Quintianus she could be bent neither by flattery nor by threats, after which she was terribly tortured: they stripped her and hung her on a tree, beat her, slashed her body, tore at her breasts with iron forks and then cut them off. In prison the holy Apostle Peter appeared to the martyr and healed her of her wounds. The next day Quintianus was amazed when he saw the maiden completely unharmed, and he handed her over to torture again. At that moment a terrible earthquake began; the frightened inhabitants of the city rushed to Quintianus and demanded that the torture be stopped. Frightened by the prospect of a popular uprising, the governor ordered the lamb of Christ to be taken back to prison, where she committed her soul to the Lord in peace.
The lawless Quintianus died a terrible death. As he was sailing on a raft towards Panormus to take possession of the holy martyr’s wealth, maddened horses suddenly rushed at him: one bit his face and the other kicked him and threw him into the river.
A church was built over Saint Agatha’s grave, and on her shrine were laid the rags that the rich but exceedingly modest and humble maiden had worn. A short time later the volcano near Catania began to erupt. Red-hot lava poured out like a river and threatened to flood and burn the whole city. Terrified, the people of Catania, hoping for God’s help, gathered at the church of Saint Agatha, held up her garment like a shield, and stood facing the fire. A miracle took place: suddenly the fiery lava drew back, died down and cooled.
