St. Agnes of Rome:

Of all the virgin martyrs of Rome none was held in such high honour by the primitive church as St. Agnes.

Since the close of the fourth century, the Fathers of the Church and Christian poets have sung her praises, extolling her virginity and heroism under torture. It is clear, however, from the diversity in the earliest accounts that there was extant at the end of the fourth century no accurate and reliable narrative, at least in writing, concerning the details of her martyrdom.

In the ancient Roman calendar of the feasts of the martyrs (Depositio Martyrum), incorporated into the collection of Furius Dionysius Philocalus, dating from 354 and often reprinted, e.g. in Ruinart (Acta Sincera Martyrum ed. Ratisbon, 1859, 63 aqq.) her feast is assigned to January 21, to which is added a detail as to the name of the road (Via Nomentana) near which her grave was located. The earliest sacramentaries give the same date for her feast, and it is on this day that the Latin Church even now keeps her memory sacred. Since the Middle Ages St. Agnes has been represented with a lamb, the symbol of her virginal innocence. On her feast two lambs are solemnly blessed and from their wool are made the palliums sent by the Pope to Archbishops.

Archbishop Cornelius O'Brien was consecrated Archbishop of Halifax in 1883 on the Feast of St. Agnes, and subsequently wrote a small book on her life. The book was titled "St. Agnes, Virgin and Martyr" and the proceeds from the sale helped fund the first St. Agnes Church on the corner of Chebucto and Mumford Roads. Recently Father Williams received a copy of this book, sent by a donor from St. Catherine's, Ontario.