Agrippina of Mineo

Saint Agrippina of Mineo was born in Rome to a noble family, remembered in Christian tradition as a young woman of beauty and courage who chose Christ above all earthly honor. Living in the third century, she is said to have consecrated her virginity to God and to have remained steadfast during the persecutions under the emperor Valerian. According to ancient legend, Agrippina suffered martyrdom around the year 262, dying either by beheading or after brutal scourging, offering her life as a witness to the Gospel. Devotion to her soon spread, especially through Sicily. Her relics were believed to have been carried from Rome to Mineo by three faithful Christian women—Bassa, Paula, and Agatonica—whose journey was aided by angels. In Mineo her tomb became a place of pilgrimage, and the faithful invoked her intercession against evil spirits, leprosy, and violent storms. Honored as the patroness of Mineo, Saint Agrippina is celebrated on June 23.