Saint Lucy of Syracuse: the Martyr of Light
Her name means "light", and for seventeen centuries Saint Lucy has lit up the faith of millions of people. A young Christian of Syracuse, she died a martyr on 13 December 304 during the persecution of Diocletian. She is venerated by the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Churches, and is loved from Sicily to Scandinavia.
Her story
According to her Passion, Lucy belonged to a wealthy family of Syracuse. Her mother, Eutychia, was seriously ill. Lucy took her to Catania to pray at the tomb of Saint Agatha. There, tradition says, Agatha appeared to her in a dream and her mother was healed. Back in Syracuse, Lucy decided to consecrate herself to Christ and give her possessions to the poor.
The young man to whom she had been promised in marriage, offended, denounced her as a Christian. Before the prefect Paschasius, Lucy stood firm in her faith. Tradition relates that no force could move her from the place where she stood. She died a martyr, struck in the throat, on 13 December 304.
The tomb and the catacombs of Syracuse
Lucy was buried in the catacombs of Syracuse, where the Basilica of Santa Lucia al Sepolcro now stands, in the Borgata district. For this church Caravaggio painted in 1608 the famous Burial of Saint Lucy, one of the most intense works of his Sicilian period.
The long journey of the relics
Lucy's body remained in Syracuse until 1039, when the Byzantine general George Maniakes took it to Constantinople together with Agatha's relics. After the capture of Constantinople in 1204, the Venetians took it to Venice, where it is now kept in the church of Santi Geremia e Lucia. Syracuse keeps some relics of the saint and her silver statue.
The saint of light
The name Lucy comes from the Latin lux, light. This is why she is invoked for eyesight and depicted with eyes on a dish. Her feast falls in the heart of winter, when the days are shortest: in Scandinavia 13 December is the feast of light, with girls dressed in white and a crown of candles. In Sicily popular tradition remembers her with cuccìa, boiled wheat, in memory of a famine that ended, according to tradition, through her intercession.
What she teaches us today
- Generosity. Lucy gave everything to the poor even before giving her life.
- Steadfastness. No force could move her from her faith.
- Light in the darkness. Faith lights up even the darkest seasons of life.
Syracuse is the city of Lucy and of Saint Methodios. During the spiritual days near Taormina we talk about her together with the other Sicilian saints, and those who wish can agree a visit to places linked to her memory. The historical background is in Byzantine Sicily and the Italo-Greek saints.
Feast day
The Catholic Church and the Orthodox Churches commemorate Saint Lucy on 13 December. In Syracuse the feast is celebrated in December and again in May.
How to take part
The days take place near Taormina, in Sicily. The places to visit are agreed together each time. There is no overnight stay: we share one day, and in the evening everyone returns to their own home. Hospitality has no price and does not depend on any offering: whoever comes is welcomed for who they are. Everyone contributes as they can: anyone who cannot leave anything is welcomed like everyone else, and takes part by giving a little of their time.
The days are reserved for Catholic and Orthodox Christians, because they are lived in shared prayer. To ask for a date, simply write to me on WhatsApp. The spirit of the days is told in the manifesto of hospitality.
If you would like to know what makes this mission possible, read The circle of love.
Explore the other pages
The days: Christian spiritual days in Sicily · The Philoxenia of Abraham · Spiritual search and finding yourself · Day retreat, silent retreat and pilgrimage: the international names
Spiritual travel in Sicily: Spiritual tourism in Sicily: the guide · Pilgrimage walking routes in Sicily · Holy Week and Easter in Sicily · Religious festivals in Sicily: the calendar · Orthodox pilgrimage in Sicily · Spiritual Nordic walking and ski walking in Sicily
Nature and places: Spiritual Taormina · Spiritual walks in nature · Christian meditation in nature in Sicily · Places to meditate near Taormina and Messina · Places to meditate in Sicily
Prayer: Christian asceticism: the spiritual struggle · The prayer of the heart or Jesus Prayer · Hesychasm: the prayer of stillness · The Philokalia: the Neptic Fathers
The saints of Sicily: Byzantine Sicily and the Italo-Greek saints · Saint Hilarion the Great in Sicily · Saint Methodios of Syracuse · Saint Joseph the Hymnographer · Saint Elias the Younger of Enna · Saint Agatha of Catania · Saint Pancras of Taormina
Sources
- Italian Ministry of Culture – Profile of Saint Lucy (PDF, Italian)
- Smart Education UNESCO Sicily – The remains of Saint Lucy
- Avvenire – Agatha and Lucy, the bond of holiness between Catania and Syracuse
What this story teaches
Lucy means light: even on the darkest day of the year, faith lights a candle that no one can put out.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Saint Lucy?
A young Christian of Syracuse who gave her possessions to the poor and died a martyr on 13 December 304, during the persecution of Diocletian. She is the patron saint of Syracuse.
Where is Saint Lucy's body?
In Venice, in the church of Santi Geremia e Lucia. It arrived there after 1204 from Constantinople, where General George Maniakes had taken it in 1039. Syracuse keeps some relics.
Why is Saint Lucy the protector of eyesight?
Because of her name, which means light, and a tradition born in the Middle Ages that depicts her with eyes on a dish.
What is the link between Saint Lucy and Saint Agatha?
Lucy prayed at Agatha's tomb in Catania for her mother's healing. After the healing she decided to consecrate herself to Christ.
Is Saint Lucy venerated by the Orthodox?
Yes: she is a martyr of the early centuries, commemorated on 13 December by both the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Churches.
What is the Burial of Saint Lucy?
It is the painting made by Caravaggio in 1608 for the Basilica of Santa Lucia al Sepolcro in Syracuse, built on the site of the saint's burial.
What is Saint Lucy's cuccìa?
It is a sweet or soup of boiled wheat eaten in Sicily on 13 December, in memory of a famine that ended, according to tradition, through the saint's intercession.
Why is Saint Lucy celebrated in Scandinavia too?
Because her feast falls in the darkest time of the year and her name means light: in Sweden and the Nordic countries it has become the feast of light.