The relics of Martyr Agatha of Panormus and Sicily

A reliquary containing a particle of the holy relics of Martyr Agatha of Panormus and Sicily is kept in the Sophia Cathedral of the Iveron-Seraphim Convent in the city of Almaty.

The holy relic, blessed by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, was gifted to the Metropolitan District of Kazakhstan by the International Christian Charitable Foundation "Triumph of the Heart" in response to the petition of Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan.

On February 17, 2015, the holy relics of the saint were solemnly received by the clergy and faithful of the Southern capital.

Martyr Agatha of Panormus is especially graced to save those who invoke her holy name in prayers from earthquakes, fires, volcanic eruptions, and other disasters and natural calamities.

Saint Agatha lived in the 3rd century on the island of Sicily, in the city of Panormus (now Palermo), and was the daughter of noble Christian parents. During the reign of Emperor Decius Trajan, severe persecutions against Christians began throughout the Roman Empire. In 250 AD, the emperor ordered provincial governors to compel Christians to worship idols by all means, including violent ones. The persecution of Christians that began as a result of this decree exceeded all previous ones in its cruelty.

The governor of Panormus, Quintian, having heard of Agatha's wealth and beauty, sent soldiers to bring her to trial as a Christian. Infatuated with Agatha's beauty, he decided to cunningly divert her from the Christian faith and, to this end, placed her in the house of a pagan widow who led an immoral life. The elderly pagan, her daughters, and servants tried to tempt Saint Agatha with bright clothes, exquisite treats, and various entertainments. However, the saint did not succumb to their tricks and, rejecting all pleasures, prayed to the Lord to grant her strength for her martyrdom. Neither luxury, nor merriment, nor persuasion could break the faith and piety of the young Christian girl.

Seeing that his cunning brought no results, Governor Quintian became enraged and decided to resort to cruel measures. He began to harshly interrogate Agatha, questioning why she would not bow to the idols.

Angered by Agatha's boldness and wise answers, the governor subjected her to severe tortures and then threw her into a foul dungeon. Seeing her steadfastness, Quintian ordered his servants to tear the body of the holy virgin with iron pincers and claws. Mutilated, Agatha was once again thrown into the dungeon.

In the prison cell, the Apostle Peter appeared to the suffering Agatha and miraculously healed her wounds. After the appearance of the Chief Apostle, an extraordinary light filled the prison all night; frightened by the heavenly sign, the soldiers fled, leaving the doors open. However, Saint Agatha did not take advantage of this and did not leave her confinement, desiring to accept martyrdom for Christ, thus testifying to the truth of her faith before the inhabitants of Panormus.

On the fifth day, Saint Agatha was brought again for torture. Quintian was astonished to see that the maiden stood before him completely unharmed and even more radiant in beauty than before. However, this miraculous healing did not touch the heart of the cruel governor. Spurred on by his deceitful advisors, he devised a more refined method of torture—he ordered sharp shards heated in the fire to be spread on the ground and sprinkled with hot coals, and then had the saint thrown onto them.

At this time, a terrible earthquake began in the city and surrounding areas, causing the strongest fortress walls and houses to collapse, and huge cracks appeared in the ground. During this natural disaster, Quintian's deceitful advisors and the executioners who tortured Agatha perished. The inhabitants of Sicily, terrified by the catastrophe, ran to Quintian's palace and demanded that he stop tormenting the innocent maiden, for whom the earthquake had occurred. The governor, frightened by the disaster and the public outcry, ordered the torture to cease and had the saint taken back to the dungeon. The martyr, raising her hands to heaven, began to fervently pray to God, and the earthquake immediately subsided.

After praying, she peacefully gave her spirit into the hands of God. Upon learning of her blessed death, the inhabitants of Panormos hurried to the dungeon, and taking the body of Saint Agatha, prepared it for burial. During the funeral procession, a beautiful youth approached the body of the martyr and placed a stone tablet in her coffin, which bore the inscription: "An undefiled mind, a voluntary sacrifice to God, and a deliverance for the homeland." Having placed the tablet, the youth immediately became invisible, and everyone understood that it was an angel of God.

The fame of Martyr Agatha spread far beyond Sicily. A church was built over her relics, and the modest, simple clothing in which the saint had walked was placed on the martyr’s tomb as a reminder to pilgrims of her humility.

A year after the martyrdom of Agatha, Mount Etna, near the Sicilian city of Catania, began to erupt fiery lava, which flowed like a mighty river; red-hot stones fell from the crater, and the ground in the surrounding areas shook and cracked. The residents of Catania, fearing for the destruction of their city, gathered in prayer at the church of Martyr Agatha. Singing psalms, they took the saint's clothing and stood in the path of the flowing lava. Through the intercession of Martyr Agatha, a miracle occurred—the lava ceased to flow, the volcano subsided, and the earthquake stopped. This miracle was repeated many times in subsequent centuries, which is why Saint Agatha is prayed to as a protector against earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, mudflows, fires, and other disasters.