At age 12 or 13 Agnes was ordered to sacrifice to pagan gods and lose
her virginity by rape. She was taken to a Roman temple to Minerva
(Athena), and when led to the altar, she made the Sign of the Cross.
She was threatened, then tortured when she refused to turn against God.
Several young men presented themselves, offering to marry her, whether
from lust or pity is not known. She said that to do so would be an
insult to her heavenly Spouse, that she would keep her consecrated
virginity intact, accept death, and see Christ.
On the feast day of St. Agnes, January 21, two lambs are blessed at her
church in Rome, Italy and then their wool is woven into the palliums
(bands of white wool) which the pope confers on archbishops as symbol
of their jurisdiction.
Agnes is the patron saint of bodily purity, chastity, engaged couples,
gardeners, Girl Scouts, girls, rape victims, and virgins.
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