Saint Lucy, Virgin & Martyr
S. Luciae Virginis et Martyris
Saint Lucy of Syracuse, a virgin martyr of the early fourth century, is one of the most honoured of the early martyrs, her name spoken daily in the Roman Canon of the Mass.
Saint Lucy was a young Christian woman of Syracuse in Sicily who gave her life for Christ in the persecution under the Emperor Diocletian, about the year 304. Her veneration spread swiftly through the whole Church, and from very early times she has been numbered among the most beloved of the virgin martyrs of the West.
What is reliably known
That Saint Lucy was a virgin of Syracuse who suffered martyrdom in the Diocletian persecution is attested by ancient and constant tradition; her cultus is among the earliest, and her name was inscribed in the Roman Canon together with the great martyrs of the Church. The traditional account relates that she had consecrated her virginity to Christ, that she gave her goods to the poor, and that when she refused to renounce her faith she was condemned and put to death by the sword.
The fuller narratives of her passion were composed at a later time, and the Church distinguishes between the certain fact of her martyrdom and the embellishments of legend. Yet the heart of her witness is sure: a young woman who loved Christ above her own life, and who preferred to die rather than betray her faith and her purity. Her name, which means “light,” has long been seen as fitting for one who shines amid the darkest days of the year.
Her witness today
The feast of Saint Lucy on the thirteenth of December falls in the deep of Advent, near the darkest days of the year in the northern lands, and her name of light has made her feast a season of brightness and hope in many countries. Because of her name she is invoked by those who suffer from diseases of the eyes. Above all the Church honours her as one of the noble company of virgin martyrs who, by the grace of Christ, overcame the world.
The Collect
Graciously hear us, O God of our salvation: that as we rejoice in the festival of blessed Lucy thy Virgin and Martyr, so we may be taught the affection of a devout spirit.
Exáudi nos, Deus salutáris noster: ut, sicut de beátæ Lucíæ Vírginis et Mártyris tuæ festivitáte gaudémus; ita piæ devotiónis erudiámur afféctu.
Patronage
She is the patroness of those afflicted with diseases of the eyes, and is invoked for the gift of sight; she is named in the Roman Canon of the Mass.
In the Modern Calendar
In the modern calendar her feast is observed on 13 December as an obligatory memorial.
Common Questions
When is the feast of Saint Lucy?
Her feast is kept on 13 December in the calendar of the 1962 Roman Missal, as a Third Class feast during Advent.
Who was Saint Lucy?
She was a young virgin of Syracuse in Sicily who was martyred for the faith in the persecution of Diocletian, about the year 304. She is one of the most venerated early martyrs and is named in the Roman Canon of the Mass.
Why is Saint Lucy associated with light?
Her name, Lucia, comes from the Latin word for light. Her feast falls near the darkest days of the year, and she has long been honoured as a bearer of light and hope during Advent. For the same reason she is invoked as patroness of the eyes and of sight.
See where this feast falls in the Church’s year on the liturgical calendar, or find a Traditional Latin Mass near you.
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