St. Apollonia

Apollonia lived in third century Alexandria. During that time, people formed mobs and attacked Christians, and the authorities made no effort to stop them. Apollonia was a deaconess who served the Church and was held in high esteem by the Christian community.

Bishop Dionysius of Alexandria recounted in a letter how in 249 a mob attacked her, knocking out all of her teeth. They threatened to burn her alive unless she recanted her faith, either by blasphemy or invoking pagan gods. They gave her a moment of freedom, thinking was about to speak, yet instead, she hurled herself into the fire.

This act runs close to an act of suicide, but her bishop considered her a martyr of the faith. St. Augustine addressed the morality of such acts: “They say, during the time of persecution certain holy women plunged into the water with the intention of being swept away by the waves and drowned, and thus preserve their threatened chastity. Although they quitted life in this wise, nevertheless they receive high honor as martyrs in the Catholic Church and their feasts are observed with great ceremony. This is a matter on which I dare not pass judgment lightly. For I know not but that the Church was divinely authorized through trustworthy revelations to honor thus the memory of these Christians.”

While Apollonia and others may have voluntarily embraced death, it seems to be understood that they were facing imminent death, and they chose death over threatening their chastity or faith, making them martyrs. Her life was a testament to her strong will; she was a single woman with a titled role in the Church; she was well-respected by her community and her bishop; she suffered under a violent mob but never rejected her faith.

St. Apollonia is the patron of dentists and those with tooth problems. Her feast day is Feb. 9.