Holy Innocents Feast Day: December 28 1st Century Martyr Patronage: Babies, unborn children The Tomb of the Holy Innocents is under the Basilica of the Nativity of Christ in Bethlehem. The relic is a piece of their tomb. They were martyred in the 1st Century and their feast day is December 28. The Holy Innocents are the male infants of the town of Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus, whose deaths were recorded in Matthew 2:1-18. The infants were put to death by the soldiers of King Herod the Great (r. 37-4 B.C.) in order to prevent the fulfillment of the ancient prophecy that the King of the Jews would be born in the little town. The exact number of the slain is unknown, but it can be deduced that the population of Bethlehem during that period was not large. An angel warned Joseph of the impending danger and thus the Holy Family escaped into Egypt. The fourth-century poet Prudentius called the infants the flores martyrum, “flowers of martyrdom.” According to legend, one of Herod’s own sons, who was with a wet nurse in Bethlehem, was also slain. MATTHEW 2:1-18 When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.” When King Herod heard this, he was greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it has been written through the prophet: ‘And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; since from you shall come a ruler, who is to shepherd my people Israel.’” Then Herod called the magi secretly and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search diligently for the child. When you have found him, bring me word, that I too may go and do him homage.” After their audience with the king they set out. And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was. They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way. When they had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him.” Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt. He stayed there until the death of Herod, that what the Lord had said through the prophet might be fulfilled, “Out of Egypt I called my son.” When Herod realized that he had been deceived by the magi, he became furious. He ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had ascertained from the magi. Then was fulfilled what had been said through Jeremiah the prophet: “A voice was heard in Ramah, sobbing and loud lamentation; Rachel weeping for her children, and she would not be consoled, since they were no more.” (Bunson, Matthew E. Our Sunday Visitor’s Encyclopedia of Saints. 2nd ed., Our Sunday Visitor Inc.,u.s., 2014.) Next Item Previous Item

St. Pius X Feast Day: August 21 1835 Pope, Confessor ​ Next Item Previous Item

St. Dominic Feast Day: August 8 1170 Confessor, Founder of Dominicans ​ Next Item Previous Item

St. Francis Caracciolo Feast Day: June 4 1563 Confessor ​ Next Item Previous Item

St. Francis of Assisi Feast Day: October 4 1181 Confessor, Founder of Franciscans, Stigmata ​ Next Item Previous Item

St. Vercundus Feast Day: October 22 522 Bishop, Martyr ​ Next Item Previous Item

St. Agatha Feast Day: February 5 231 - 250 Virgin, Martyr, Incorrupt Patronage: Sicily, bellfounders, breast cancer, against fire, Palermo, rape victims, wet nurses St. Agatha, is a martyr whose name is mentioned in the Canon of the Mass. She was executed in the persecutions probably conducted by Emperor Trajanus Decius (r. 249-251), in a series of anti-Christian campaigns from 250-253. Agatha is listed in the Hieronymian Martyrology and in the Carthaginian Martyrology, from the sixth century. Pope St. Damasus I (r. 366-384) wrote a hymn in her honor or had the poem, perhaps written by someone else, included in his book of devotions. Two versions of her martyrdom were recorded in the early Church. She was a daughter of a prominent noble Sicilian family and was very beautiful. A Roman senator, named Quintianus, listed as the prefect of the region, asked Agatha to marry him. When she refused, he retaliated by placing her in a brothel, where she miraculously remained unharmed. When Agatha still held to her faith in Christ, Quintianus had her tortured. Agatha’s breasts were cut off. She was cured by a vision of St. Peter, but the Romans had her rolled naked across a bed of hot coals and glass. Agatha died from this torture. At her funeral, a youth appeared to honor her. Quintianus did not survive long, as he was thrown by his horse and drowned in a river. On the anniversary of Agatha’s death, Mount Etna erupted. The faithful, taking her veil up the mountain, were supposedly able to stop the flow of lava. Agatha also cured the mother of St. Lucy in a vision. Her tomb is in Catania, Sicily, and her veil is enshrined in the cathedral of Florence. In some regions, St. Agatha’s bread is distributed to ward off a variety of diseases and mishaps. Many early Christian churches were dedicated to this great saint. Cruz, Joan Carroll. The Incorruptibles: A Study of the Incorruption of the Bodies of Various Catholic Saints and Beati. TAN Books, an Imprint of Saint Benedict Press, LLC, 2012. Bunson, Matthew E. Our Sunday Visitor’s Encyclopedia of Saints. 2nd ed., Our Sunday Visitor Inc.,u.s., 2014. Next Item Previous Item

St. Peter of Verona Feast Day: April 29 1205 Martyr, Dominican ​ Next Item Previous Item

St. Rose of Lima Feast Day: August 23 1586 Virgin, Dominican ​ Next Item Previous Item

St. Peter of Alcantara Feast Day: October 19 1499 Confessor, Franciscan ​ Next Item Previous Item