22 NOVEMBER: SAINT CECILIA, VIRGIN AND MARTYR

Patron Saint of Musicians and Music

Saint Cecilia, Patron Saint of music and musicians, luthiers and other musical instrument makers, was born to a noble Roman family at the beginning of the third century.

Her biographical details come from texts whose accuracy is uncertain, but the fact that she existed was never in doubt.  By 496, Cecilia was already being worshipped by the Church of Rome as a virgin and martyr. A Basilica was built on the site of her house in Trastevere. Her memorial is celebrated on 22 November, and her name appears in the Roman Canon of the Mass.

An account of her life is included in the Passio on the lives of the martyrs of the early centuries. According to the Acts of Cecilia, from the fourth century, cited by the Dominican Jacobus De Voragine in his Legenda aurea (Golden Legend), which he started writing in 1260, the martyr was from the prominent aristocratic Caecilii family. She was brought up in the Christian faith, and was an ardent, charitable and humble young woman. Although she had made a vow of chastity, Cecilia was forced to marry a pagan, named Valerian. She convinced her husband to share her views, and told him on their wedding night, that an angel protected her virginity. Wishing to see the angel, Valerian decided to convert to Christianity and was baptized by Urban I. Her husband’s brother Tiburtius, also embraced the faith.

When the Prefect, Turcius Almachius, found out about their conversion, he had Cecilia and the two brothers arrested. Cecilia was confined to her house, while Valerian and Tiburtius were sentenced to death. Their witness inspired the guard, Maximus, to convert to Christianity.

Meanwhile, Cecilia continued to preach to the people who had converted to Christianity. The Pope often visited her in her home and baptized the faithful. She was reported as a Christian a second time, and was brought before the Prefect, who ordered her to offer sacrifices to the idols. She refused and was sentenced to death by decapitation. The executioner’s axe struck three times without severing her head from her neck, leaving instead, three wounds. Cecilia then heard heavenly music and a choir of angels, which led to her later proclamation as Patron Saint of musicians. She died after three days of agony, around 230 A.D.

According to tradition, she gave all her belongings to the poor and entrusted all the faithful she had converted to Urban I, saying, “I asked this delay of three days, from our Lord, that I might place in the hands of your Beatitude, my last treasure, the poor whom I feed and who will miss me. I also bequeath to you this house in which I have lived, that you may consecrate it as a church”.  Saint Cecilia’s mortal remains are kept in Saint Cecilia in Trastevere, the Church that was built on the site of her house in Rome.