Who Was St. Cecilia?
“It is not the punishment, but the cause, that makes the martyr; that is: the confession of the true faith” (St. Alphonsus Maria Liguori).
The Life of a Saint
While not much is known about the life of St. Cecilia, she is recognized by Catholics as a virgin martyr who lived in Rome during the third century. Despite having vowed her virginity to Christ, St. Cecilia was given away in marriage to a pagan man called Valerian by her wealthy parents.
According to Aleteia, she revealed this vow to her husband on their wedding night:
O sweetest and most loving young man, I have a secret to confess to you … I have a lover, an angel of God, who watches over my body with exceeding zeal. If my angel senses that you are touching me with lust in your heart, he will strike you and you will lose the flower of your gracious youth. If, on the other hand, he knows that you love me with sincere love, he will love you as he loves me, and will show you his glory.
After hearing that her guardian angel watched over St. Cecilia’s virginity, Valerian stated that he would respect the vow if he could see the angel. St. Cecilia replied by telling her husband to be baptized. Upon his baptism, he was able to see the guardian angel standing with his wife.
Valerian brought his brother to be baptized into the Church as well. The two began to illegally bury the bodies of people martyred for their Christian beliefs. When caught in this act, the brothers were both martyred themselves.
St. Cecilia boldly professed her Christian faith and brought hundreds of people to conversion. She was arrested for her beliefs and for burying her martyred husband’s body. The saint was sentenced to death.
As St. Cecilia had become quite popular, the Romans were hesitant to perform a public execution. Instead, they locked her in her own steam room and brought the temperature very high. After leaving her for a day, the Romans were shocked when they returned to find St. Cecilia unharmed.
The saint was then sent to be beheaded. The Romans were once again surprised when they were unable to fully detach her head from her neck after three blows. St. Cecilia was left to bleed to death for three days. During this time, she continued to share her faith with people who passed by. Many used cloth or sponges to collect relics.
St. Cecilia was found to be the first incorrupt saint after Pope Paschal I ordered her to be removed from her tomb in 821 A.D. She was still lying on her right side—the same position she is believed to have died in. Her tomb was opened again in 1599, and her body was fully intact.
St. Cecilia is the patron saint of musicians, as it is said that she sang to God from her heart during her wedding ceremony. Her feast day is celebrated on Nov. 22.
Lessons From a Saint
There is much we can take from the life of St, Cecilia, even in modern times. She trusted that God would come to her aid, even when she was given in marriage to a pagan man. St. Cecilia was not afraid to share her promise to God with her husband, nor did she hesitate to express her faith to others, even when threatened with death.
St. Cecilia’s life shows us that God will take us far if we follow His path, even if there is uncertainty. It is unlikely that we will experience martyrdom in our lives as St. Cecilia did. However, we can still follow her example by dying to ourselves daily and offering up every part of our life to God.
Rebekah Davidson has lived in Ohio all her life. She has degrees in both business management and journalism, and is pursuing a freelance writing career. Apart from writing, she enjoys traveling, reading, and playing piano and guitar. She is a big fan of St. Thérèse, her confirmation name, and all things Martin family. She is currently working on launching a Catholic-themed blog in 2023.