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Monday 4 February 2013

St. Agatha, pray for us

http://romanchurches.wikia.com/wiki/Sant'Agata_in_Trastevere?file=Agata_in_Trastevere.jpg

Many saints have their feast days this week, but I want to concentrate on St. Agatha. She is a personal patron of mine, as I am a cancer survivor. She helped me through a very hard two years, 2009-2010.


Her church in Rome is Sanctae Agathae in Urbe. There is another church in Trastevere dedicated to her as well. The first church pictured here is that one. I would live in Trastevere, if I could, and go to church in the many lovely ones there.

The one below is build on a site which had a church there in the 4th century. It went over to the Arians, but was re-consecrated by St. Gregory the Great. This church witnessed many renovations and even a period under the Benedictine Order. It is now the church of Cardinal Raymond Burke

http://romanchurches.wikia.com/wiki/Sant%27Agata_dei_Goti


The relics of many martyrs are found in this church. In some countries, festivals begin today and go through her feast day, celebrating this brave virgin. Apparently, she was twenty when she was killed. She was made of stern stuff, for sure and loved Christ before all.

St. Agatha was a very popular saint in the Middle Ages. We know her story of torment and indignity before her martydom. In England, there is a church in Yorkshire with 13th century paintings of Christ on the walls. This church is dedicated to St. Agatha.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b0/St_agatha_fresco2.JPG/800px-St_agatha_fresco2.JPG