Cecilia, St.

In the Christian tradition, St. Cecilia is the patron saint of music and musicians. According to legend, St. Cecilia was a young woman from a noble Roman family who lived during the reign of the emperor Septimus Severus ( A . D . 193-211).

Raised in a Christian family, Cecilia was known for her devotion to Christ and her musical talents. It was said that the songs she wrote and sang were so beautiful that angels came down to earth to listen.

According to legend, Cecilia vowed to remain a virgin and married a young man named Valerian, who respected her vow. Valerian converted to Christianity and was baptized in the catacombs by St. Urban. Upon returning to Cecilia, he found her with an angel. The angel offered to grant Valerian one wish, and the young man wished that his brother Tiburtius would also convert to Christianity.

Cecilia and the two brothers traveled around helping the poor and sick, but Valerian and Tiburtius were arrested and killed for practicing their religion. Cecilia was arrested after she buried their bodies. Thrown in boiling water, she came out alive and was then stabbed in the neck and breast three times. She died three days later. Some versions of the legend say that she was beheaded, but she lived for three days after being struck by the ax.

Although some credit St. Cecilia with inventing the organ, the first organ was actually built by the ancient Greeks around 250 B . C . A feast in her honor has been celebrated on November 22 in Rome since the A . D . 300S.