Saint Apollonia
Christian female saint and martyr (2nd century - 249)
Feast: 9 February (1962 Missal, commemoration) · not on the current Roman calendar
Who they were
What is known of Apollonia comes from a letter of St Dionysius, bishop of Alexandria, preserved by Eusebius. In 249, in a riot against the Christians of Alexandria, pagans seized 'the admirable virgin Apollonia, already advanced in years', struck her jaws and knocked out her teeth. They built a fire outside the city and threatened to throw her in alive unless she repeated their blasphemies. She asked to be let go for a moment, and then leapt into the fire herself and was consumed.
The miracles
There was never a formal cause: Apollonia has been honoured as a martyr since the third century.
Why that counted as sanctity
An old woman chose to die rather than speak against Christ, and went to her death freely.
- Vatican News - Saint of the day (Italian): Apollonia
- Wikidata Q232427 — dates, feast day and identifiers (CC0)
- English Wikipedia — Saint Apollonia (CC BY-SA)
Checked against the sources listed on 21 September 2026. Corrections welcome.