Ordinary Time: January 21st Memorial of St. Agnes, virgin and
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Calendar: St. Agnes Today the Church celebrates the memorial of
St. Agnes, virgin and martyr. She came from a noble Roman family
and was about thirteen years old when she suffered martyrdom.
She was tortured and beheaded. Her name is included in the Roman
Canon. Pope Damascus wrote a celebrated epitaph about her. Agnes
is one of the most glorious saints in the calendar of the Roman
Church. The greatest Church Fathers vie with one another in
sounding her praise and glory. St. Jerome writes: "All nations,
especially their Christian communities, praise in word and
writing the life of St. Agnes. She triumphed over her tender age
as well as over the merciless tyrant. To the crown of spotless
innocence she added the glory of martyrdom." Our saint's name
should be traced to the Greek hagne - the pure, rather than to
the Latin agna - lamb. But the Latin derivation prevailed in the
early Church. T