February 5 is the feast day for St. Agatha of Sicily, the patron saint for breast cancer.
St. Agatha was born into a wealthy family, and consecrated to God at an early age. She was a lovely girl who attracted the attention of a judge, Quintianus, who wanted both her body and her money.
When she refused him, he had her arrested and put into a brothel run by Aphrodisia. She prayed and wept, and her virtue was intact after 30 days. The judge then had her taken to prison to be beaten and stretched on the rack. While chained, she was whipped, cut, burnt, and finally her breasts were cut off.
She reportedly said to her guard: "Cruel tyrant, do you not blush to torture this part of my body, you that sucked the breasts of a woman yourself? " That night, St. Peter appeared and gave her a miraculous healing. Quintianus, still not satisfied, ordered her to be rolled naked over live coals mixed with sharp bits of broken pottery.
St. Agatha made no other request after this, except that God would "receive now my soul." She was martyred in 251 A.D. St. Agatha is usually depicted carrying her breasts on a plate, as in this painting by Francisco de Zurbarán.
Quote:
When Agatha was arrested, the legend says, she prayed: “Jesus Christ, Lord of all things! You see my heart, you know my desires. Possess all that I am—you alone. I am your sheep; make me worthy to overcome the devil.” And in prison: “Lord, my creator, you have protected me since I was in the cradle. You have taken me from the love of the world and given me patience to suffer. Now receive my spirit.”
Patron Saint for:
Breast cancer
Foundry workers
Nurses
St. Agatha was born into a wealthy family, and consecrated to God at an early age. She was a lovely girl who attracted the attention of a judge, Quintianus, who wanted both her body and her money.
When she refused him, he had her arrested and put into a brothel run by Aphrodisia. She prayed and wept, and her virtue was intact after 30 days. The judge then had her taken to prison to be beaten and stretched on the rack. While chained, she was whipped, cut, burnt, and finally her breasts were cut off.
She reportedly said to her guard: "Cruel tyrant, do you not blush to torture this part of my body, you that sucked the breasts of a woman yourself? " That night, St. Peter appeared and gave her a miraculous healing. Quintianus, still not satisfied, ordered her to be rolled naked over live coals mixed with sharp bits of broken pottery.
St. Agatha made no other request after this, except that God would "receive now my soul." She was martyred in 251 A.D. St. Agatha is usually depicted carrying her breasts on a plate, as in this painting by Francisco de Zurbarán.
Quote:
When Agatha was arrested, the legend says, she prayed: “Jesus Christ, Lord of all things! You see my heart, you know my desires. Possess all that I am—you alone. I am your sheep; make me worthy to overcome the devil.” And in prison: “Lord, my creator, you have protected me since I was in the cradle. You have taken me from the love of the world and given me patience to suffer. Now receive my spirit.”
Patron Saint for:
Breast cancer
Foundry workers
Nurses
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