St. Agatha

St. Agatha (flourished 3rd century?, Sicily [Italy]—died c. 251, Catania, Sicily; feast day February 5) is a legendary Christian saint and virgin martyr. She is venerated as the patron saint of breast cancer patients and of various localities in Italy and elsewhere.

St. Agatha is cited in the martyrology of St. Jerome, the Calendar of Carthage (c. 530), and other works. Although she was one of the most-venerated virgin martyrs of Christian antiquity, the traditional particulars of her martyrdom are of little historical value. Palermo and Catania are both mentioned as her possible birthplace, and tradition holds that she was born to wealthy and noble parents. Having consecrated her virginity to God at a young age, she resisted the advances of a Roman prefect sent by the emperor Decius to govern Sicily. Her profession of faith and rejection of the prefect resulted in her brutal torture, during which her breasts were cut off (a condition often reflected in her iconography). During her imprisonment, she famously had a vision of St. Peter the Apostle, who is said to have comforted her and healed her wounds with his prayers. She was sent to be burned at the stake, but, according to some accounts, as soon as the fire was lighted, an earthquake occurred, causing the people to insist upon her release; she then allegedly died in prison.