Saint Apollonia (+249) was a virgin martyr put to death under the reign of Philip the Arab, just before the far more violent persecution under his successor, Decius. She was known as a ‘deaconess’, which was not an ordained order, for the Greek term diakonos simply means a ‘minister’, as in, those who helped in the Church’s works, especially for the poor. Her greater claim to fame is that she refused to apostatize under torture, which included having all of her teeth pulled out or pulverized. Hence, she is often portrayed in art holding pliers (!) and is the patron saint of dentists, who thankfully have found slightly less painful ways to remove out molars. Also, and controversially, when led to the flames to be burned to death, Apollonia threw herself into their midst as a voluntary holocaust, signifying the fine line separating martyrdom from suicide, offering one’s life for God and His truth, and the despair of throwing it away.
Saint Augustine comments on this, in light of the example of Samson pulling the pillars down on himself and the Philistines:
When, however, God gives a command and makes it clearly known, who would account obedience there to a crime or condemn such pious devotion and ready service?
Whatever the historical truth of her martyrdom – and the tale of her demise may well have been exaggerated – Apollonia died for the Faith, and has been accepted as a saint the Church. We rejoice therein, even if we may not follow fully her example, we can beg her intercession.
Ora pro nobis! +
