Martyr
Martyr Agatha of Catania (Palermo)
†ок. 251 (при имп. Декии)
Martyr Agatha of Palermo (Catania) — a noble Sicilian virgin consecrated to Christ, who refused the advances of governor Quintianus and endured brutal torture (including mutilation of her breasts) under Emperor Decius; venerated in the Orthodox Church (feast Feb 5/18), despite the predominantly Western (Sicilian) spread of her popular cultus.
The Martyr Agatha came from a noble and wealthy Sicilian family (some sources say Palermo, others Catania) and from her youth consecrated herself to Christ, taking a vow of virginity. The governor of Sicily, Quintianus, inflamed with desire for her and wishing to seize her property, under the pretext of persecuting Christians ordered her seized and handed over to a house of ill repute to be induced to sin, but the saint remained unyielding. She was then subjected to brutal torture, including the mutilation of her breasts; tradition holds that the Apostle Peter appeared to her in prison and healed her wounds. After further torment on heated potsherds, she died in prison around 251, under Emperor Decius. Her relics are venerated in Catania; the saint is traditionally regarded as a protector against eruptions of Mount Etna and fires, and a patroness of nursing mothers. Although the main center of her veneration is the Western (Sicilian) Church, a distinct commemoration of Agatha is also present in the Orthodox calendar.
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