one of the few saints distinguished in the offices of the ancient Church by the title "Virgin," which was then reserved almost exclusively for the Blessed Virgin Mary, though in later times it was bestowed on every nun or young girl with any claim to sanctity, and sometimes even on matrons who became nuns late in life.
St. Augustine says that the name "Agnes" means "chastity" in Greek, and " a lamb " in Latin; it is not certain whether she bore this name in her life, or whether it was given to her afterwards. Her Acts are not older than the 7th century; but she was honoured throughout the Christian world in the same century in which her martyrdom occurred. She is mentioned by St. Jerome, who says that in his time her praise was heard in all languages; by St. Augustine, St. Ambrose, and other writers of the 4th and the beginning of the 5th centuries. Numbers of Christians used to resort to her grave to pray, especially on the anniversary of her martyrdom. St. Emerentiana, who is supposed to have been her foster-sister, was stoned to death while praying at the tomb of Agnes, which was near the Via Nomentana. The Christians were sometimes joined by heathens, from motives of curiosity, veneration, or superstition; among them St. Constantia, daughter of the Emperor Constantine, previous to her conversion, commended herself to the mercy of St. Agnes, for the cure of a distressing and disfiguring disease. As she immediately recovered, she became a Christian, and persuaded her father to build a church over the grave of the martyr. There she and several other women devoted themselves to a religious life. This church was repaired by Pope Honorius in the 7th century, and gives title to a cardinal. In it yearly, on her festival, two lambs are blessed at high Mass; they are then taken to the Pope to be blessed again, afterwards they are consigned to certain nuns who make palliums of their wool; these are blessed by the Pope, who presents them to archbishops. Another large church was built by Innocent IX. on the site of her death, and dedicated to God in her name. Her martyrdom is commemorated on Jan. 21, and her appearance in glory to her relations and fellow-Christians on the 28th. Innocent III. made St. Agnes the first patron of the new Order of the Most Holy Trinity for the Redemption of Captives. St. Elisabeth of Schonau, 12th century, known by her visions and revelations, asserted that St. Agnes was little and plump, and had red cheeks and curly hair. B.M. Bollandus, AA.SS. Butler. Bailiet. Flos Sanctorum. Golden Legends. Legeyidario delle Santissime Vergini. Menology of the Emperor Basil. Cahier. Husenbeth. Mrs. Jameson.
St. Agnes (3), Oct. 18, V. M. with Victor or Victoria, and Bassa, at Ostia or Nicomedia. Supposed to be a mistake for the great St. Agnes, V. M. at Rome. AA.SS.
St. Agnes (4), Aug. 28, V. M. 383. A native of Britain, of royal or noble birth. One of the companions of St. Ursula, and martyred with her at Cologne. The French Martyrology says she was martyred in England, whence her relics were translated to Cologne. Both accounts are probably fabulous, the story of St. Ursula being enveloped in mystery and improbability, and the story of the 11,000 martyred virgins offering a field for unlimited speculation and romance. The only authority on which the history of St. Agnes of Britain rests is that of the man to whom she appeared and revealed it. Watson, English Martyrology
St. Agnes (5). There is a dedication in Cornwall always written St. Agnes and always pronounced St. Anne. Perhaps to this saint belongs the legend in Dr. Cobham Brewer's Reader's Handbook. There are, in the rocks on the coasts, holes communicating with the sea. A sort of ogre, or evil spirit, spoken of in that region as a "Wrath," was in love with St. Agnes. She said if he could fill a certain one of these holes with his blood, she might regard him with favour. He began at once to bleed himself, and the saint encouraged him until he was dying of exhaustion, and then pushed him over the cliff.
St. Agnes (6), May 13. V. 7th century. Abbess at Poitiers. Patron of
