St. Cecilia was born during the second century to a very rich family. She married a man named Valerian. Husbands and wives get to share a very special gift when they are married. However, St. Cecilia wanted to save this gift for Jesus alone. On the night of Cecilia’s wedding she told Valerian she was saving the special gift for Jesus and that her guardian angel was protecting it. Her husband wanted proof by seeing her angel.

“After you convert and are baptized a Christian you will be able to see my angel,” Cecilia told him.

Do you think he converted? He DID and was then able to see her guardian angel!

While her husband was watching, her angel crowned Cecilia with roses and lilies. After Valerian became a Christian, his brother did too. The three of them worked for God the rest of their lives.

Cecilia preached to anyone willing to listen about Jesus and converted many to Christianity. Valerian and his brother spent their days burying the recently martyred men and women. (If the government found out you were Christian, you were killed or “martyred.”) Can you imagine trying to secretly bury the dead?

Eventually, Valerian and his brother were discovered to be Christians and killed for it. Later, St. Cecilia also was caught and killed.

St. Cecilia is considered the patron saint of music. It is thought that she sang in her heart during her wedding, asking Jesus to be able to keep her special gift for him.

Feast day: Nov. 22

St. Cecilia, Pray for us

Activity you can do at home:

Since St. Cecilia is the patron saint of music. Create a family “theme song.”  Pick a song that you know the tune to. Change the words so that the song is about your family.