Who was Saint Cecilia?
Cecilia lived in Rome around the year 230. She loved Jesus with all her heart and had promised to belong to God always. Her family arranged for her to marry a young man named Valerian. On the wedding day the house was full of flowers and guests, and flutes and strings played. And while the music played, the old account says, Cecilia sang to God in her heart, where only God could hear.
Cecilia told Valerian about her promise to God and about Jesus. Valerian was a kind man who wanted to learn, and he was baptized, and so was his brother. Together the three of them cared for the poor, bringing them bread and warm clothes, and gave Christians who had died a loving burial. It was not easy to be a Christian in Rome then, but the song in Cecilia’s heart made her brave.
In the end, Cecilia gave her life for Jesus, and the Christians of Rome never forgot her. Tradition says her church in Rome stands where her house once was. In 1599 her tomb was opened, and those who saw her said she looked as if she were asleep. A sculptor carved her in marble, lying peacefully on her side, and you can still see the statue there today.
When is Saint Cecilia’s feast day?
Saint Cecilia’s feast day is November 22. Many choirs and music schools celebrate it with a concert or a sung Mass, and in Mexico and other countries it’s also Musicians’ Day.
Clara tells the whole story at bedtime, in the Little Prayer Stories app.Get the app →
