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saint-apollonia

St. Apollonia

Born: c. 200 CE

Died: c. 249 CE

Feast: February 9

Patron saint of: Teeth, dentists, and those suffering from dental diseases

Apollonia was an early Christian martyr. She lived in Alexandria during the 3rd century and was tortured by those who were persecuting the Christians there. Alexandria was not a safe city for Christians during this time: The city was facing a severe plague, and many Christians refused to leave the city in order to care for the suffering, who were often left behind by their families. Apollonia, older than most of the early martyrs (some sources call her a deaconess), was among those who stayed to provide aide. Her persecution was a gruesome one. She was seized by a mob who knocked out all of her teeth, built a pyre, and threatened to burn her if she didn’t repeat their words of blasphemy. Apollonia was able to hold her torturers off for long enough to jump into the flames of her own free will.

Bernadette Raspante


Image: Francisco de Zurbarán via Wikimedia Commons