Tuesday, December 13, 2005
This Day in Ancient History
On this day in 304 AD, St. Lucy of Syracuse was martyred. A good Christian girl, Lucy did not want to go through with an arranged marriage to a pagan. The rejected suitor ratted Lucy out to the governor of Sicily who sentenced her to a life of forced prostitution. However, when the guards went to fetch her, they found they could not move her, even with a team of oxen. The governor changed the sentence to death. The guards gouged out her eyes and surrounded her with bundles of twigs which they lit on fire. The fires went out. One guard then stabbed her in the throat. Some of these early women saints were tough to kill.
St Lucy is mentioned in the prayer "Nobis quoque peccatoribus" in the Canon of the Mass. She is the patron saint of a long list of things including eye trouble and sore throats (appropriately), stained glass workers and saddlers. Again, what an odd combination.
St Lucy is mentioned in the prayer "Nobis quoque peccatoribus" in the Canon of the Mass. She is the patron saint of a long list of things including eye trouble and sore throats (appropriately), stained glass workers and saddlers. Again, what an odd combination.
# posted by Roger Fraley @ 12:02 AM 
