St. Agnes was born around 1268 in Tuscany, Italy. At the age of nine, she entered into convent life through the Dominican convent at Montepulciano.

She lived a life of great austerities at the convent, subsisted on bread and water for many years, slept on the ground, and used a stone as her pillow. Her reputation for holiness grew and by the age of 15, she became an abbess, something unheard of at the time.

In light of her abilities, Agnes was commissioned by Pope Nicholas IV to help establish a new convent in Procena. However, around 1306, she returned to Montepulciano when a new convent under the Dominican order was established there. St. Agnes was known to have had many visions. She had visions of the Virgin Mary and of angels giving her Communion. In another vision, she held the infant Jesus in her arms. She awakened to find a gold crucifix worn by infant Jesus from her vision in her hands.

St. Agnes had a particular devotion to the Blessed Sacrament and deep prayer. She gained a reputation for performing miracles and healing the illnesses of others. Agnes, however, suffered from many illnesses herself and died in 1317. Many years following her death her body was found to be incorrupt. St. Agnes was canonized by Pope Benedict XIII in 1726.

Other Saints of the Day:

St. Marcian

Blessed Chiara Bosatta

Pope St. Anicetus

St. Marcellinus of Embrun