Editing Agnes of Rome (section)

==Veneration==
[[File:Drawing by Johann Overbeck of St. Agnes, became a published etching one of 12.jpg|thumb|Drawing by [[Johann Friedrich Overbeck|Johann Overbeck]] of St. Agnes]]
Agnes was venerated as a saint at least as early as the time of St Ambrose, based on an existing homily. She is commemorated in the ''Depositio Martyrum'' of [[Furius Dionysius Filocalus|Filocalus]] (354) and in the early Roman Sacramentaries.<ref name=Duffy>{{cite web| url = https://www.catholicireland.net/saintoftheday/st-agnes/| title = Jan 21 – St Agnes (d. 305) martyr|website=Catholic Ireland|date= 21 January 2012}}</ref>

Saint Agnes' bones are conserved beneath the high altar in the church of {{lang|it|[[Sant'Agnese fuori le mura]]}} in Rome,<ref>{{cite web| url = https://oca.org/saints/lives/2010/01/21/100255-virginmartyr-agnes-of-rome| title = "Virginmartyr Agnes of Rome", Orthodox Church in America}}</ref> built over the [[catacomb]] that housed her tomb. Her skull is preserved in a separate chapel in the church of [[Sant'Agnese in Agone]] in Rome's [[Piazza Navona]].

Agnes is [[Calendar of saints (Church of England)|remembered]] in the [[Anglican Communion]] with a [[Lesser Festival (Anglicanism)|Lesser Festival]] on 21 January.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Calendar|url=https://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/worship-texts-and-resources/common-worship/churchs-year/calendar|access-date=2021-03-27|website=The Church of England|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=For All the Saints |url=https://www.anglican.org.nz/Resources/Worship-Resources-Karakia-ANZPB-HKMOA/For-All-the-Saints-A-Resource-for-the-Commemorations-of-the-Calendar/For-All-the-Saints#s|access-date=2021-03-27|website=www.anglican.org.nz}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Agnes and Cecilia of Rome |url=https://www.episcopalchurch.org/lectionary/agnes-and-cecilia-of-rome/ |access-date=2022-07-19 |website=The Episcopal Church |language=en-US}}</ref>

St Agnes is venerated as a [[saint]] in the [[Catholic Church]], [[Oriental Orthodox Churches|Oriental Orthodox Church]] and the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]], as well as the [[Anglican Communion]] and [[Lutheranism|Lutheran Churches]].<ref name=UnderstandingFaith />

===Patronage===
[[File:Fr Guarino Santa Inés 1650.jpg|thumb|right|''Santa Inés'', [[Francesco Guarino|Guarino]], 1650]]

Because of the legend around her martyrdom, Saint Agnes is patron saint of those seeking chastity and purity. She is also the patron saint of young girls and girl scouts. Folk custom called for them to practise [[divination|rituals]] on Saint Agnes' Eve (20–21 January) with a view to discovering their future husbands. This [[superstition]] has been immortalised in [[John Keats]]'s [[poem]] ''[[The Eve of Saint Agnes]]''.<ref>{{EB1911|inline=1|wstitle=Agnes, Saint|volume=1|page=377}}</ref>

===Iconography===
Since the Middle Ages, Saint Agnes has traditionally been depicted as a young girl with her long hair down, with a lamb, the symbol of both her virginal innocence{{sfn|Kirsch|1907}} and her name, and a sword (together with the [[martyr's palm|palm branch]] an attribute of her martyrdom). The lamb, which is ''agnus'' in the Latin language, is also the linguistic link to the traditional blessing of lambs.<ref name=CatholicSpirituality>{{Cite web |date=2023-01-20 |title=Why is St. Agnes depicted with a lamb? |url=https://aleteia.org/2023/01/20/why-is-st-agnes-depicted-with-a-lamb/ |access-date=2024-04-12 |website=Aleteia — Catholic Spirituality, Lifestyle, World News, and Culture |language=en}}</ref> Saint Agnes has been depicted with a lamb since the 4th century.<ref name=CatholicSpirituality /><ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-08-07 |title=St Agnes, Little Lamb of the Lord |url=https://www.mdrevelation.org/st-agnes-little-lamb-of-the-lord/ |access-date=2024-04-12 |website=Missionaries of Divine Revelation |language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Blessing of the lambs ===
On the feast of Saint Agnes, two lambs are traditionally brought from the [[Trappist]] abbey of [[Tre Fontane]] in [[Rome]] to be blessed by the Pope. In summer, the lambs are shorn, and the wool is used to weave the [[pallium|pallia]], which the Pope gives on the feast of Saint Peter and Paul to the newly appointed metropolitan [[archbishop]]s as a sign of his jurisdiction and their union with the pope.<ref name=rockville/><ref>{{cite web | url=http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2015/01/29/pope_modifies_and_enriches_pallium_investiture_ceremony_/1120538 | title=Pope modifies and enriches Pallium Investiture Ceremony | publisher=[[Vatican Radio]] | date=January 29, 2015 | access-date=January 29, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/33284/pope-francis-celebrates-saint-agnes-with-blessing-of-lambs|title = Pope Francis celebrates Saint Agnes with blessing of lambs}}</ref> This tradition of the blessing of the lambs has been known since the 16th century.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/28841/blessing-of-lambs-a-500-year-old-tradition-priest-reveals|title = Blessing of lambs a 500 year old tradition, priest reveals}}</ref>

===Notable churches===
[[File:Skull Saint Agnes.JPG|thumb|right|The relic of the skull of Saint Agnes in [[Sant'Agnese in Agone]], Rome]]
* St. Agnes Anglican Church Grange, Hanover, Jamaica
* [[Basilica of St. James and St. Agnes, Nysa|Basilica of St James and St Agnes]], Nysa, Poland
* [[St. Agnes Cathedral (Rockville Centre, New York)|St Agnes Cathedral]], Rockville Centre, New York<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.stagnescathedral.org/Our%20Parish/History/Part%201.html |title="History", St. Agnes Cathedral |access-date=2019-01-29 |archive-date=2018-09-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180913155819/http://www.stagnescathedral.org/Our%20Parish/History/Part%201.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> 
* [[St. Agnes Church (New York City)|St Agnes Church]], New York City
* [[Church of the Ascension and Saint Agnes]], Washington, D.C.
* [[Sant'Agnese in Agone]], Rome
* {{lang|it|[[Sant'Agnese fuori le mura]]}}, Rome
* {{ill|Sainte-Agnès, Lac-Mégantic|lt=Sainte-Agnès|fr|Église Sainte-Agnès de Lac-Mégantic}}, [[Lac-Mégantic, Quebec|Lac-Mégantic]], Quebec, Canada
* [[St Agnes, Cornwall#St Agnes Parish Church|St Agnes]], St Agnes, Cornwall, England<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.pastscape.org.uk/hob.aspx?hob_id=428393| title = ''Church of St Agnes'', English Heritage National Monuments}}</ref>
* [[St. Agnes, Cologne|St Agnes]], Cologne, Germany
* [[Cawston, Norfolk#Church of St Agnes|St Agnes]], Cawston, Norfolk, England
* [[St Agnes' Church, St Agnes|St Agnes' Church]], St Agnes, Isles of Scilly, England
* [[St. Agnes Cathedral (Springfield, Missouri)|St Agnes Cathedral]], Springfield, Missouri, US
*[[Church of St. Agnes (Saint Paul, Minnesota)|St Agnes Church]], Saint Paul, Minnesota
*St. Agnes Catholic Church, [[Key Biscayne, Florida]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pacenti |first=John |date=2023-06-19 |title=St. Agnes pastor to critics: "We are building to leave a legacy. |url=https://kbindependent.org/2023/06/19/st-agnes-pastor-to-critics-we-are-building-to-leave-a-legacy/ |access-date=2024-04-12 |website=Key Biscayne Independent |language=en-US}}</ref>

===Legacy===
The [[Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes]] is a Catholic religious community for women based in [[Fond du Lac, Wisconsin]], US. It was founded in 1858, by Father Caspar Rehrl, an Austrian missionary, who established the sisterhood of pioneer women under the patronage of Agnes, to whom he had a particular devotion. 
[[File:Johann Overbeck drawing of St. Agnes vs Roman Rule an early Christian martyr.jpg|thumb|Graphite pencil drawing of Saint Agnes by Johann Overbeck]]
The city of [[Santa Ynez, California]] is named after her.