St Apollonia

Deaconness, Martyr (c.200 - c.209)
Feast / Memorial Day: February 9
Patronage: Dentists, sufferers from toothache

+ SHORT BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE:

If little known is about her life, the circumstances of Apollonia's martyrdom are well documented for an early Christian saint. She died during a series of riots in Alexandria that turned into an Anti-Christian massacre. With others, Apollonia was seized and her teeth were knocked out after a number of blows to her face. The rioters then threatened to burn her alive if she would not renounce Christianity. In response, she flung herself into the flames. Given that she died of her own volitions, concerns remained that she had committed suicide - a mortal sin - rather than suffering martyrdom. The matter was decisively settled in Apollonia's favor by St Augustine of Hippo in the 5th century.