13 December: Saint Lucia, Virgin and Martyr

Charity and the light that brightens the night

A witness of Christ, who made the ultimate sacrifice of her life, she is an example of consistency for those who refuse to submit to the powerful of the moment and prevailing ideologies. She is Lucia, the Saint of light and charity, beloved by boys and girls in many European countries. On the night of 13 December, processions of young people light up the darkness with their candles, passing through towns and cities to remember their peer, who gave her life to remain faithful to the true Light: Christ. This tradition is still very much alive, especially in Northern Europe, and pays homage to Lucia’s great charity. Her name, which comes from the Latin word lux, meaning light, is linked to an act of courage and generosity performed by this young woman. It is said that in order to bring food and aid to Christians hiding in the catacombs, she placed some candles over her head to illuminate the dark tunnels. Lighting the catacombs in this way, her hands were free to lend assistance.

We do not have many details on her life because the earliest biographies date back to at least 100 years after her death. Born into a noble family from Syracuse, Sicily, towards the end of the third century, she refused to marry, and gave up all her possessions in favour of the poor, dedicating herself entirely to God.

According to tradition, a young pagan man fell in love with her, but Lucia rejected him. Filled with great anger at her rejection, the young man denounced her as a Christian, and she was arrested. Because she firmly refused to make a sacrifice to the gods, she was imprisoned, tortured, and eventually beheaded. It is said that Lucia asked her suitor why he cared so much for her, and he responded that it was because of her eyes, which were then torn out by her executioners.

There is no doubt that she is a very popular Saint. The faithful of Syracuse have been devoted to her since the early centuries, and she has been celebrated in Scandinavia since the Middle Ages, especially in Sweden, where the pagan festival of lights and evil spirits, who battle against the light, was replaced by the feast of Saint Lucia. On her liturgical memorial, young girls in Sweden dress in white, and with a candle in their hands and a bright crown on their heads, they walk in procession through the streets, led by a girl chosen to represent the Saint.

Some relics of the Saint are venerated in Syracuse, while most are kept in the Church of San Geremia in Venice, which has become a shrine in honour of the young martyr.