| Saint Cecilia of Catacomb | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Virgin and Martyr | |
| Born | 2nd century AD, Rome |
| Died | Sicily |
| Major shrine | Santa Cecilia in Trastevere, Rome |
| Feast | November 22
patron saint of musicians |
| Attributes | flute, organ, roses, violin, harp, harpsichord, singing |
| Patronage | Church music, great musicians, poets; Albi, France;Archdiocese of Omaha, Nebraska; Mar del Plata, Argentina |
Saint Cecilia (Latin: Sancta Caecilia) is the patron saint of musicians[2] and Church music because as she was dying she sang to God.[2]St. Cecilia was an only child. Her feast day is celebrated in the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Eastern Catholic Churches on November 22. She is one of seven women, excluding the Blessed Virgin, commemorated by name in the Canon of the Mass. It was long supposed that she was a noble lady of Rome who, with her husband Valerian, his brother Tiburtius, and a Roman soldier Maximus, suffered martyrdom, c. 230, under the Emperor Alexander Severus.[3]
The research of Giovanni Battista de Rossi,[4] however, appears to confirm the statement of Venantius Fortunatus, Bishop of Poitiers (d. 600), that she perished in Sicily under Emperor Marcus Aurelius between 176 and 180. A church in her honor exists in Rome from about the 5th century, was rebuilt with much splendor by Pope Paschal I around the year 820, and again by Cardinal Paolo Emilio Sfondrati in 1599. It is situated in Trastevere, near the Ripa Grande quay, where in earlier days the Ghetto was located, and is the titulus of a Cardinal Priest, currently Carlo Maria Martini.
The martyrdom of Cecilia is said to have followed that of her husband and his brother by the prefect Turcius Almachius.[5] The officers of the prefect then sought to have Cecilia killed as well. She arranged to have her home preserved as a church before she was arrested. At that time, the officials attempted to kill her by smothering her by steam. However, the attempt failed, and she was to have her head chopped off. But they were unsuccessful 3 times, and she would not die until she received the sacrament of Holy Communion.
Cecilia survived another three days before succumbing. In the last three days of her life, she opened her eyes, gazed at her family and friends who crowded around her cell, closed them, and never opened them again. The people by her cell knew immediately that she was to become a saint in heaven.[2]
The skull of Saint Cecilia is kept as a relic in the cathedral of Torcello.
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Patroness of church musicians
Cecilia's musical fame rests on a passing notice in her legend that she was crucified and beheaded at the same time praised God, singing to him, as she lay dying a martyr's death.
When her incorruptible body was found long after her death, it was found that on one hand she had three fingers outstretched and on the other hand just one finger, denoting her belief in the trinity.
Meaning of the name
The name Caecilia was shared by all women of the Roman clan or family known as the Caecilii, whose name may be related to the root of 'caecus', blind. Legends and hagiographies include fanciful etymologies for the name, as though it were a personal name. Among these, cited by Chaucer in The Second Nun's Tale, are: lily of heaven; the way for the blind; contemplation of heaven and the active life; as if lacking in blindness; a heaven for people to gaze upon.[6]
Use in Contemporary Music
The New York post-hardcore band Polar Bear Club refer to St. Cecilia in their song "Song To Persona". David Byrne and Brian Eno's song, The River, on the album, Everything that Happens Will Happen Today, also refers to St. Cecilia's Day. The Paul Simon song "The Coast" also references a family of musicians taking refuge in the Church of St. Cecilia.[7]
See also
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Saint Cecilia |
- St. Cecilia Cathedral, Omaha, Nebraska
- The Incorruptibles
Gallery
 Saints Cecilia, Valerian, and Tiburtius by Botticini |
 Saint Cecilia and Saint Valerian |
 In a clear walled city on the sea. Near gilded organ pipes - slept St. Cecily |
References
- ^ St Cecilia by RENI, Guido
- ^ a b c "St. Cecilia". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. 1913. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03471b.htm.
- ^ Fuller, Osgood Eaton: Brave Men and Women. BiblioBazaar, LLC, 2008, page 272. ISBN 0554341220
- ^ Rom. sott. ii. 147.
- ^ The Life of Saint Cecilia - Golden Legend article
- ^ http://www.courses.fas.harvard.edu/~chaucer/teachslf/snt-par.htm Chaucer, Canterbury Tales, The Second Nun's Tale, prologue, 85-119
- ^ Lyrics of "The Coast"
External links
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