Who is Agnes?

Agnes was a young girl from Rome who dedicated her life to Christ at a time when Christianity was against imperial law.

Legend holds and history suggests that Agnes was born in the Year 291 into a noble family.  The Prefect Sempronius chose Agnes to be his future bride, but when he proposed to her she refused.  Sempronius was a pagan, and his pride was hurt by Agnes' refusal to court him.

When pressed for a reason, Agnes told Sempronius that she already had a "Spouse".  He soon found out that the "Spouse" Agnes claimed as her own was none other than Jesus Christ.  To get back at her, he reported her to the authorities for being a Christian.

Agnes was brought to trial and asked by the judge to make a ritual offering to the goddess Vesta.  When Agnes refused, she was sentenced to live in a brothel.

She was brought back to trial after living in the brothel and given a final opportunity to renounce her Christian faith and be released.  She refused and was killed by the sword of a Roman soldier.  She was 12 years old at the time.

Pope Demasus, elected in the Year 366, wrote a hymn about Agnes that tells the story of her life and her tragic death. The Emperor Constantine, who converted to Christianity, authorized his daughter Constanza to build a basilica over Agnes' grave.

St. Agnes' Basilica outside of Rome, Italy is one of the oldest chapels in the entire world.  Agnes' grave is preserved under the church, though part of her remains are in a catacomb inside the church itself.  

The Feast of St. Agnes: Martyr of Rome was added to the Roman calendar in the Year 354 and is celebrated on January 21st.

The name Agnes comes from the Latin word agnus, which means "lamb", and a similar word in Greek, hagne, which means "pure". 

St. Emerentiana

Agnes had a foster sister named Emerentiana.

Just days after Agnes was buried, Emerentiana publicly criticized the Roman government for killing an innocent woman.  She was subsequently stoned to death.  

For over 1,400 years the story of Emerentiana was dismissed as legend.  Then, in the 19th Century, the famous Italian archivist Armanelli found her grave only a short distance from St. Agnes' Basilica.   

The feast of St. Emerentiana: Martyr of Rome is celebrated on January 23rd.