St. Cecilia, patroness of music, is a virgin martyr ‘immortalized’ in the Roman Canon.
From the Roman Breviary
Cecilia, a Roman virgin of noble birth, vowed her virginity to God at a very early age. Unwillingly given in marriage to Valerian, she persuaded him to leave her untouched and go to blessed Urban, the Pope, that when he had been baptized he might be worthy to see Cecilla's angelic protector. When Valerian had obtained this favor, he converted his brother Tiburtius to Christ, and a little later both were martyred under the prefect Almachius. But Cecilia was seized by the same prefect because she had distributed the two brothers' wealth to the poor, and orders were given to have her suffocated in a [steaming] bath. When the heat dared not harm her, she was struck three times with an axe and left half dead. After three days she received the palm of virginity and martyrdom, and was buried in the cemetery of Callistus. Her body and those of Popes Urban and Lucius, and of Tiburtius, Valerian and Maximus were transferred by Pope Paschal I to a church in the City [Rome] dedicated to St. Cecilia.
Details from other sources:
- St. Cecilia is one of the most venerated saints, in fact her name is included in the Roman Canon!
- She wore sackcloth and fasted greatly for the conversion of her betrothed.
- Returning from his baptism, Valerian saw Cecilia praying in her chamber and an angel by her side with flaming wings, holding two crowns of roses and lilies which he placed on their heads and then vanished. This convinced Tiburtius to be baptized. The two brothers then began buring the martyrs slain daily by the prefect. They were arrested and executed by the sword when they refused to offer sacrifice to the pagan gods.
- Maximus was a Roman officer who converted along with the two brothers on account of St. Cecilia.
- St. Cecilia intensified her evangelizing efforts after the murder of Valerian. Her preaching and good deeds converted over four hundred in Rome, whom Pope Urban baptized. She was arrested and ordered to be tortured and killed by suffocation. However despite being enclosed for more than a day with blazing fires made ever greater, she did not even break out into a perspiration or suffer from dehydration. The executioner was unable to strike off her head. One blow failed, then another. With the third the wound was deemed sufficient to claim her life. She continued to bleed yet remained alive for three more days! Crowds came to soak up her blood with napkins. She preached to them and prayed. Countless more were converted. Pope Urban and his deacons came to see her and baptize the converts. She asked him to build a church upon her burial site.
- Many sources believe she died ~230 AD under Emperor Alexander Severus, others however date her death from ~178 under Emperor Marcus Aurelius.
- Pope Paschal moved her remains in the year 821 AD. That Church was then rebuilt in 1599 and the bodies of the saints placed under high altar. Pilgrims can still visit this Church in Trastevere (an area of Rome). You can see some pictures of this basilica from their site.
- A monastery was also founded on this same site as the Church.
- St. Cecilia is regarded as the patroness of Church music on account of her assiduity in singing the divine praises (according to a work on her acts, she often joined instrumental music with vocal). These divine praises are primarily the inspired texts of the psalms set to sacred music and form the bulk of the Roman Breviary or Divine Office.
- It is also said that when she prayed, when she was married, and at other pivotal moments of her life she heard heavenly music. Thus, she is often pictured in Christian iconography playing a musical instrument, most often the organ.