Catania: Cardinal Pietro Parolin has called on Catholics to draw inspiration from the life and faith of Saint Agatha, saying that her witness continues to offer an important message to the Church nearly nine centuries after her relics were returned to Sicily.
The Vatican Secretary of State made the remarks during a prayer vigil in Aci Castello on Sunday evening, August 16, as Sicily marked the 900th anniversary of the return of Saint Agatha’s relics to Catania. Cardinal Parolin is in Sicily as the papal legate for the anniversary celebrations, having been appointed by Pope Leo XIV.
Speaking during the vigil, Cardinal Parolin said Saint Agatha remained strong because of her deep communion with Christ. Her faith, he explained, gave her the strength to withstand violence, threats and promises of power without abandoning what she believed.
Saint Agatha was killed as a young woman during the persecution of Christians under the Roman Emperor Decius in the third century. According to Christian tradition, she was tortured because she refused to renounce her faith. Her remains were later taken to Constantinople by the Byzantines during the 11th century, before being returned to Sicily many decades later.
The relics reached Aci Castello after a short stop in Puglia and were then carried in procession to Catania on August 17, 1126. Nine hundred years later, the anniversary has brought the faithful together once again to honour the Sicilian martyr and reflect on the meaning of her life.
During his homily, Cardinal Parolin said Saint Agatha’s example remains relevant because she showed what it means to remain faithful to Christ during difficult circumstances.
He explained that a life rooted in God can continue to produce good fruit even when a person faces suffering and uncertainty. Her story, he said, reminds Christians that remaining close to God can provide hope and strength during moments when life becomes difficult.
Pope Leo XIV also highlighted this message in a letter to Cardinal Parolin. The Pope described Saint Agatha as an example of faithfulness to Christ and of love expressed through complete self giving. Her martyrdom, he said, demonstrates the victory of grace over violence, faith over fear and charity over death.
Cardinal Parolin also reflected on Psalm 1, particularly the words that the Lord watches over the way of the righteous. He stressed that being faithful to God does not mean that a person will be protected from every form of suffering.
Instead, faith gives people the strength to face their difficulties with a different outlook.
The Cardinal said that God knows the path of His children, remains with them through their struggles and can even transform their wounds into places where grace becomes visible.
He also warned about the many influences that can slowly draw people away from God. According to Cardinal Parolin, these influences do not always appear through dramatic actions. They can begin with small choices and habits that gradually change a person's heart and way of thinking.
Over time, he said, people can become accustomed to living without God and begin to act as though God is unnecessary. He described this as a growing condition in modern society, where people may not openly reject God but instead live as if God does not exist.
Against this, Cardinal Parolin pointed to the importance of finding joy in the Word of God. He said those who take their direction from God's Word know where the source of their life lies.
For Christians, he explained, Scripture should not be seen as a burden or as something that restricts freedom. Instead, it can become a path toward genuine freedom and a source of guidance when people face difficult choices.
He encouraged the faithful to use Scripture as a mirror for their own lives and to ask themselves important questions about the path they are following, the voices influencing their decisions and where they are searching for happiness.
Returning to the image used in Psalm 1, Cardinal Parolin compared a person rooted in God to a tree planted beside streams of water. Such a tree can survive and bear fruit because its roots reach a reliable source of nourishment.
He said Saint Agatha represents this kind of deeply rooted life. Despite persecution and suffering, her faith remained strong and her witness continued to bear fruit across generations.
Cardinal Parolin concluded his reflection by encouraging Catholics to remain steadfast in the Lord. He urged them to seek deep roots in faith so that they would not be carried away by fear, changing fashions or false promises.
The celebrations in Sicily have also given the faithful an opportunity to venerate Saint Agatha's relics. After arriving in Aci Castello on Sunday afternoon, the relics were displayed in Piazza Castello and made available for public veneration in the Mother Church.
The relics are scheduled to return to Catania on Monday, where they will be placed in Piazza Duomo ahead of a Pontifical Mass at 8 p.m. Cardinal Parolin will preside over the celebration, which will include the granting of the Jubilee indulgence and the Papal Blessing.
Archbishops and bishops from across Sicily are expected to take part in the celebration. They will be joined by the Archbishop of Otranto and the Bishop of Nardò Gallipoli, dioceses traditionally associated with the journey of Saint Agatha's relics, as well as the Bishop of San Marino Montefeltro, where the Sicilian martyr is honoured as co patroness.
For the Church in Sicily, the 900th anniversary is more than a historical commemoration. Through Saint Agatha's story, the celebrations are offering a reminder that faith can remain strong through suffering and that a life firmly rooted in God can continue to inspire others long after the person has died.