Agnes, ST. (1)
a virgin who at the age of twelve (or thirteen) was beheaded at Rome, under Diocletian. The acts of her martyrdom said to have been written by Ambrose are spurious, but the substance of her history, as given by Prudentius (14th hymn, ) and Ambrose (De Virgincibus, lib. i), amount to this: St. Agnes, having made a profession of Christianity and virginity, was persecuted by her suitors. She was sentenced bv the judge to be confined in a brothel, and one who tried to outrage her there was struck with blindness, but was restored through her intercession. ‘This miracle, however, did not save her life, for shortly after, having refused to offer incense to idols, she suffered martyrdom. A church at Rome in her honor, said to have been built in the time of Constantine, was repaired by pope Honorius in A.D. 625-638, and another was built at Rome by Innocent X. The Latin, Greek, and Anglican churches celebrate her festival Jan. 21; the Greeks also Jan. 14 and July 5, and the Latins Jan. 28. Her name stands in the black-letter calendar of the English Prayer-book on Jan. 21, and it is one of four (St. Margaret’s, St. Lucy’s, and St. Agatha’s days being the other three) appointed in England by the Synod of Worcester, under W.alter de Cantilupe, in 1240. See Baillet, Vieses d Saint., January 21; Butler, Lives; Ruinart, Acta Sine. p. 457; Moreri, who cites Bollandus, Acta, April.
St. Agnes was the favorite saint of the Roman women. Her effigy is found on the ancient glass and earthenware of the Christians of the 3d century.- She bears the palm as martyr, but seldom the book, or accompanied by the lamb; these two last were later symbols. When alone, she is generally placed between two trees; sometimes she is at the side of the Virgin Mary; sometimes between the Lord and St. Laurence, between St. Vincent and St. Hippolytus, between St.’ Peter and St. )Paul. See Jameson (Mrs.), Sacred -and Legend. Art. p. 600 sq.
Fuente: Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature
Agnes, ST. (2)
of Monte-Pulciano, in Tuscany, was born in 1274, a and at nine years of age entered the convent of the Order of St. Francis, called- Sacchine, or Sackins, because they wore scapularies of coarse linen, such as sacks are made of. At fourteen she became cellarist of the house, and subsequently abbess of another house at Proceno. Lastly, she established a monastery at Monte-Pulciano in accordance with the rule of St. Benedict and the institution. of St. Dominic. She died April 20,1317, and was buried in her convent; but the building having been given in 1435 to the monks of St. Dominic, they removed her remains to the highaltar. St. Agnes was canonized by Benedict XIII in 1726, and her festival is kept on April 20. See Baillet, April 20;