Saint Agape

Agape Agape Martyr in Thessalonica, sister of Chionia and Irene. , Chionia Chionie Sister of Saint Agape, martyred by fire. , an d Ire Irène Sister of Saint Damasus. ne were sisters, and lived in Thessalonica. Those from whom they had received life worshipped idols when they shed their blood for Jesus Christ. Diocletian having for Dioclétien Roman emperor under whom the martyrdom is said to have taken place. bidden, under penalty of death, the keeping of the divine Scriptures, they found a way to hide several volumes of the holy books from the persecutors. It was not until the following year, that is to say in 304, that they were discovered. They were arrested on the spot and led before the governor Du lcitius. Dulcétius Governor of Macedonia who judged the saints. When the latter was seated on his tribunal, the clerk Artemisius spoke to him as follows: "If Your Greatness permits me, I will read an information sent by the stationarius, which concerns the persons who are present here." Dulcitius having ordered that the reading of the information be done, the clerk read the following: "The stationarius Cassander to Dulcitius, governor of Macedonia, greetings. I am sendi Macédoine Region where Anastasia exercised her charity before her arrest. ng to your greatness six Christian women and one man who have refused to eat meats sacrificed to the gods. The women are named Agape, Chionia, Irene, Casia, Philippa, Eutychia, and the man who is with them, Agathon Agathon Christian arrested with the three sisters. ."

The governor, turning to the women, said to them: "Wretched that you are, can you carry the spirit of revolt so far as to disobey the pious ordinances of the emperors and the Caesars? And you," he added, addressing Agathon, "why, following the example of the other subjects of the empire, do you not wish to eat the meats offered to the gods?" "It is because I am a Christian," replied Agathon. "Dulcitius turning to Agape: And you, what are your sentiments?" "Agape. I believe in the living God, and would not wish to lose by an evil action the merit of my past life." "Dulcitius to Chionie. What are you going to tell me?" "Chionie. I will tell you that I believe in the living God and that it is for this reason that I have not obeyed the emperor." "Dulcitius to Irene. Why have you not wished to conform to the orders of the emperors and the Caesars?" "Irene. It is because I feared to offend God." "Dulcitius to Casia. What do you have to answer me?" "Casia. I wish to save my soul." "Dulcitius. Do you not wish to participate in our sacrifices?" "Casia. God preserve me from such a crime." "Dulcitius to Philip. Will you speak like the others?" "Philip. Yes, without doubt, and I would rather die than have the slightest part in your sacrifices." "Dulcitius to Eutychia. Will you be as unreasonable as your companions?" "Eutychia. I have the same sentiments as they, and I would give my life rather than consent to what you demand of me." As Eutychia was pregnant, the governor had her taken to prison and ordered that she be cared for until she had given birth.

Dulcitius returned to Agape, and said to her: " What Agape Martyr in Thessalonica, sister of Chionia and Irene. is your final resolution? Do you not wish to imitate those who make it a duty to obey the emperors?" "Agape. I cannot take it upon myself to devote myself to the demon; all your speeches will never be able to seduce me." "Dulcitius. And you, Chionie, what answer ar e you f Chionie Sister of Saint Agape, martyred by fire. inally going to give me?" "I still persist in the same sentiments." "Dulcitius. Do you not have some of those books or writings that concern the impious doctrine of the Christians?" "Chionie. We have none; they were all taken from us by the order of the emperor." "Dulcitius. But still, who determined you to fall into such reveries?" "Chionie. We are indebted for the holy doctrine that we profess to the almighty God and to his Son Jesus Christ Our Lord." "Dulcitius. You are all obliged to conform to the edicts of the emperors and the Caesars; but since after so many threats, warnings, and reiterated orders, you still persist with obstinacy in your disobedience, taking glory in the odious name of Christians, and that after having been called upon by the stationaries and the principal officers to profess the religion of the empire, you have never wished to consent to it, I declare to you that I am going to condemn you to the penalties carried by the ordinances." He then read the sentence conceived in these terms: "Given the obstinacy with which Agape and Chionie have persisted in professing the religion of the Christians, which all pious persons detest; given their contempt for the divine ordinances of our emperors and of our Caesars, we condemn them to be burned alive. As for Agathon, Casia, Philip, and Irene, they shall remain in prison until we have decided otherwise."

Agape and Chionia having been executed, Dulcitius had Irene brou ght b Irène Sister of Saint Damasus. efore him, and spoke to her thus: "It is now that your madness appears in full light. There have been found in your possession a great number of books, notebooks, pages, and writings concerning the doctrine of the Christians, the most wicked men on earth; and when they were shown to you, you were forced to acknowledge them, although you had denied having them in your keeping. It is very astonishing that neither the punishment of your sisters, nor the fear of a similar end, has yet opened your eyes. You are therefore absolutely resolved to die. I am, however, still willing to show you indulgence. Adore the gods, and I will forget your crime. Will you finally do what the emperors and the Caesars have ordered? Will you sacrifice? Will you eat of the immolated meats? — Irene. Know that I will do none of these things. Would you have me deserve to burn in an eternal fire, which will be the portion of those who have renounced Jesus Christ the Son of God? — Dulcitius. Who persuaded you to hide these wicked books for so long? — Irene. It is the almighty God, who has commanded us to love Him even at the expense of our lives. That is why we allow ourselves to be burned alive rather than deliver the holy Scriptures and betray the interests of God. — Dulcitius. Did anyone else know that you had hidden these writings? — Irene. No one had knowledge of it; only God knew, because nothing can be hidden from Him. Our own servants were not even in the secret, for fear that they might denounce us. — Dulcitius. Where did you hide last year when the edict of the most pious emperors was published? — Irene. Where it pleased God, upon the mountains. — Dulcitius. Who fed you then? — Irene. God, who provides for the sustenance of all His creatures. — Dulcitius. Did your father know all this? — Irene. No, he knew nothing of it. — Dulcitius. Your neighbors surely were not unaware of it. — Irene. You may interrogate them and make whatever inquiries you deem necessary. — Dulcitius. When you returned from the mountains, did you read these kinds of books in the presence of anyone? — Irene. As we kept them carefully hidden, without daring to transport them elsewhere, we felt a keen pain at not being able to read them night and day, as we were accustomed to do before the edict. — Dulcitius. Your sisters have been punished as they deserved; as for you, although you are worthy of death for having hidden these impious books in your house, I intend to punish you in another manner. You will be exposed in a place of debauchery, and you will live there each day on bread that will be brought to you from the palace. You will be guarded there by soldiers, whom I order, under pain of death, to prevent you from leaving for a single moment."

This infamous sentence was rigorously executed; but God declared Himself the protector of the purity of His servant. No one dared to approach her, nor to say any dishonest word in her presence. The governor, having had her brought back before his tribunal, said to her: "Do you still persist in your obstinacy and disobedience? — Irene. What you call obstinacy and disobedience, I call piety toward God, and I declare to you that I persist in it. — Dulcitius. Since that is so, you are going to be condemned to the penalty you deserve." He asked for tablets and wrote this sentence: "Irene, having refused to obey the emperors and to sacrifice to the gods, and still persisting in her attachment to the sect of the Christians, we order that she shall be burned alive, just as her two sisters were." The sentence was executed without delay, and at the very place where Agape and Chionia had suffered a few days before. Her martyrdom occurred on April 5, 304.

Taken from their Acts, which are but an abridgment of the registers of the court of justice of Thessalonica. They were published by Serius and by Dom Buleart. See Tillemont and Dom Collier. The Acts produced by the Bollandists, vol. X (new ed.), are different from these; but this time the criticism of Dom Buleart, Reillet, Godescard, etc., is obviously right against them: it suffices to read to be convinced. Moreover, B aronius Baronius Cardinal and hagiographer who fixed the feast day on October 8. had paved the way for criticism.