St. Agatha
Antique Holy Card – Anonymous Artist

This lovely, graceful picture of St. Agatha is a companion piece to our print of another early Christian Virgin and Martyr, St. Agnes. Both women are mentioned in the Mass. Both have a similar story. Both were beautiful girls from wealthy families, with many suitors after their beauty and wealth. But both women had given their lives to Christ and would have none of it. Like Agnes, eventually one of the suitors turned Agatha into the authorities for the crime of being Christian.

Agatha was arrested and tortured. The palm leaf she is holding symbolizes her martyrdom; the instruments around are the means of her martyrdom. The torch on the ground represents the failed effort to burn her at the stake when an earthquake prevented it. She was wracked and rolled over fire. The tongs she holds represent what they used to tear off her flesh. But she would not break her vows to Christ.

St. Agatha was a Sicilian. One year after her death, Mt. Etna erupted. Lava was flowing, threatening the town of Catania. The panicked townsfolk took the veil she had worn at her martyrdom, still in her grave, and brought it to the lava flow. The town was saved. There have been huge festivals to her in Sicily ever since. St. Agatha is the Patron Saint of breast cancer victims. Her feast day is February 5. (source: Cahtolic.org)

This is a turn of the last century German holy card. B. Kühlen was a German publisher of holy cards. Artist is anonymous.

8.5 x 11 acid-free archival paper, with about an inch-and-a-third of white space around the picture. Cardboard backer. Enclosed in a tight-fitting, crystal clear bag.

IMPORTANT!!! The image is smaller than the paper. 

Standard size. If you would like us to frame it for you, please select a frame above, under "Framing".

You might also be interested in original Catholic art and jewelry by me, Sue Kouma Johnson, available all over this shop! Thanks!