Virgin and Martyr · Feast day January 21
St. Agnes
The feast day of St. Agnes is January 21, a memorial in the US Catholic calendar. Traditionally invoked as patron of girls and engaged couples.
| Feast day | January 21 |
|---|---|
| In the US calendar | Memorial |
| Title | Virgin and Martyr |
| Died | c. 304 |
| Patron of | girls, engaged couples |
| Next on Bless’s Today screen | None left in the published calendar (through December 31, 2028) |
Life
A Roman girl of about twelve or thirteen in Diocletian’s persecution who refused every suitor and every threat, counting herself already promised to the Lord of the universe. The prefect’s fires and brothels could not touch her; the sword could.
Rome buried her on the Via Nomentana, raised a basilica over her, and wrote her name into the very Canon of the Mass. On her feast two lambs are blessed, whose wool makes the pallium of archbishops — Agnes, agnus: the lamb who followed the Lamb.
Patron of
Tradition invokes St. Agnes as patron of girls and engaged couples.
Patronages are traditional, not an official list. All patron saints in Bless, A to Z.
In the calendar
The upcoming dates, through December 31, 2028, when Bless’s Today screen shows St. Agnes. Where the US calendar keeps another celebration that day, it is named instead and no rank is given.
Readings
No dates are left in Bless’s published calendar, which runs through December 31, 2028. St. Agnes keeps January 21 in Bless’s calendar of saints: see the saints of January.
All the saints of January Born on January 21? A saint for every day
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