February 9 + Saint Apollonia

Apollonia, who died in the year 249, was martyred for not renouncing her faith. The account of her life was written by Saint Dionysius to Fabian, Bishop of Antioch.

The persecution of Christians began in Alexandria, Egypt during the reign of the Emperor Philip. The first victim of the pagan mob was an old man named Metrius, who was tortured and then stoned to death. The second person who refused to worship their false idols was a Christian woman named Quinta. Her words infuriated the mob and she was scourged and stoned.

While most of the Christians were fleeing the city, abandoning all their worldly possessions, Apollonia was seized. The crowds beat her, knocking out all of her teeth. Then they lit a large fire and threatened to throw her in it if she did not curse her God. She begged them to wait a moment, acting as if she was considering their requests. Instead, she jumped willingly into the flames and so suffered martyrdom.

Apollonia belongs to a class of early Christian martyrs who, when confronted with the choice between renouncing their faith or suffering death, voluntarily embraced the latter. She is the Patron Saint of dentists and people suffering from toothache and dental diseases. She is often pictured with a pair of pincers, holding a tooth or with a golden tooth attached to a necklace. Saint Augustine explained her voluntary martyrdom as a special inspiration of the Holy Spirit, since it is against God's will to cause his or her own death.