Saint Agatha - Hand-Painted Saint medal

Saint Agatha's story took place long ago. She was born in 231 and died in 251 in Catania, Sicily.   Agatha was a beautiful lady—a Christian virgin— who rejected the advances of a Roman nobleman, Quintian. When Agatha “just said no” to Quintian, he became enraged and ordered her delivered to a whorehouse, where she was tortured by fire and suffered other cruelties. Quintian later demanded that Agatha endure what is now known as a “radical mastectomy”—her breasts were cut off and she was sent to jail. Saint Peter miraculously appeared in her prison cell and Agatha initially survived her ordeals. Saint Peter put a special celestial ointment on Agatha’s breasts and they were restored.

Roman officials later ordered that Agatha suffer death through burning at the stake. Agatha again was saved from the murderous assaults, though she did die later, while imprisoned. When Agatha died, the volcanic eruptions of Mount Etna finally eased. Agatha is therefore also invoked to protect against the ravages of volcanic eruptions, and fire. In modern times, Saint Agatha is best known as a protector from cancer: most especially the illness of breast cancer.