St. Cecilia was specifically a patron of musicians, composers, instrument makers, poets, and the blind. She is said to be a hallow of music, especially church music, due to how she sang in her heart to the lord while heavenly music was played at her wedding. As a result of this, she is often depicted in art with a viola, organ, or organ pipes in her hand. Since the time of the Renaissance, an abundance of musical pieces, songs, art, poems, and festivals have been created as acts of homage to her. Furthermore, although it is not known whether or not she could physically see, her name derives from the Latin caecus (meaning blind). Consequently, she is also considered the Catholic patron of blind …show more content…
Cecilia is thought to have been the daughter of a very wealthy Roman family. She was forced into marriage to a pagan named Valerian, and informed her husband of her vow of virginity to God as well as the angel protecting her. In response to his request of proof, she later told him to travel the third milestone on the Via Appia to be baptized by Pope Urbanus in order to gain the eyes to see the angel. When he returned to his wife, Valerian saw an angel by her side, which convinced her brothers to be baptized and devote their time to burying saints who were murdered by the prefect. Throughout her life, St. Cecilia continued her relationship with God by praying, preaching, and converting hundreds of people into Catholicism. Due to these controversial works, the prefect of the city, Turcius Almachius, arrested and condemned her to death by suffocation. Shut in the bathhouse while the fires persistently stoked and caused scorching temperatures for one night and one day, St. Cecilia was expected to die. However, she did not shed a single drop of sweat. With this news, Almachius sent an executioner to decapitate her. Despite delivering three blows to her, the executioner was unable to sever her head, and he ran off while leaving her wounded. She lived for three days, in which crowds visited her and collected her blood as she prayed to them. She died a martyr in the early 3rd century, and was buried by Pope Urban and his deacons. In 1599,