Current Feasts, Saints and other Holy Days

St Agnes - January 21

Child Martyr at Rome

St Agnes was born about 291AD. As a girl she was very beautiful and belonged to a wealthy family so she was highly sough after as a bride by several high ranking young men. However Agnes felt called to dedicate herself to Christ to the point of preferring to face death to any violation of her consecrated virginity. Nothing certain can be deduced as to the date or manner of Agnes’ death. It was traditionally thought to be about 304 during the Diocletian persecution, but more recent studies suggest a date about 350.

The earliest witness to her is the Depositio Martyrum of 354. About the same time, a shrine was built over her grave on the Via Nomentana in Rome.

Many legends and stories developed round Agnes, none of them of historical value. Agnes’ principal emblem is a lamb, probably because of the resemblance of her name to the agnus, Latin word for “lamb” . Pope Honorius (625-638) erected a basilica in place of the older shrine, and people still visit Agnes’ tomb and the surrounding catacomb beneath the basilica.

Sources:
https://www.anglican.org.nz/Resources/Worship-Resources-Karakia/For-All-the-Saints-A-Resource-for-the-Commemorations-of-the-Calendar/For-All-the-Saints
https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=106