Agathoclia

Saint Agathoclia is venerated as patron of the city of Mequinenza in Aragon, Spain. She died around the year 230 and is remembered on 17 September.

Tradition says she was a virgin Christian slave of a wealthy couple who had turned from Christianity to paganism, Nicolas and Paulina; some sources say she was Nicolas' daughter. They subjected her to regular physical abuse, including whipping and other violence, in an effort to make her renounce her faith. She repeatedly refused. Her owners then gave her over to a public trial before a local magistrate. There too she refused to renounce Christianity, which brought on her savage mangling by the authorities. When she was found guilty, her sentence included having her tongue cut out, which she survived. The sources disagree on how she met her death: some say that her mistress Paulina poured burning coals on her neck, others that she herself was cast into fire.

The town of Mequinenza celebrates festivals in honour of Saint Agathoclia (called simply “La Santa”) from 16 to 20 September. There is also a confraternity in the town dedicated to the saint.