Agatha of Catania

Saint Agatha of Catania is one of the most revered virgin martyrs of the early Christian centuries. Born in the early 3rd century in Catania, Sicily, she was persecuted under the reign of Emperor Decius (c. 250-251) for her Christian faith and her vow of virginity. The proconsul Quintianus, attracted by her beauty, tried to force her to apostatize and yield to his advances. Faced with her categorical refusal, Agatha underwent horrific tortures, including the cutting off of her breasts, before being thrown into prison where she died. Her memory is celebrated on February 5th. She is invoked as the patroness of nurses, victims of breast diseases, bakers, bell founders, and against fires, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions, particularly those of Mount Etna.