Feast of St. Agnes

PATERSON  Bishop Serratelli made a pastoral visit to St. Agnes Parish here Jan. 19 where he celebrated Mass for the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time. The Bishop’s visit also came near the feast day (Jan. 21) of the parish’s patron, St. Agnes, virgin and martyr, who is patron saint of girls, chastity, Girl Scouts, engaged couples, virgins and rape victims. Concelebrants of the Mass wore red vestments to mark her death as a martyr. At the Mass, there was a large presence of girls, who received a special blessing of St. Agnes. Father Enrique Corona, pastor, blessed the girls as a way to honor the parish’s patron and he encouraged the girls to be steadfast in their faith.

Legend has it that St. Agnes was a girl whom many young men wanted to marry. Among those she refused, one reported her to authorities for being a Christian. She was arrested, condemned, executed and buried near Rome in a catacomb that eventually was named after her. The daughter of Constantine built a basilica in her honor.