According to historical sources, Saint Lucy was 21 years old when she died. She was born in 283 in Syracuse. Her father, of Roman origin, of noble lineage, was one of the most prominent men in the city. His mother, Eutyhia, was of Greek heritage. Both parents were wealthy, so they gave their daughter a good education. Her father’s death at a young age left Lucy in the care of her mother, who decided to betroth her to one of the city’s leading young men.
After the church service, the people went to the tomb of the holy Lucienne, and the mother and her daughter fell. And began to pray with tears, asking for help. So they prayed a lot, and Lucy fell asleep and had a vision. You were seeing the Holy Virgin Agatha amid the angels. Very adorned with beads, and saying to her: “My sister Lucy, Virgin of God, why do you ask of me what you alone can immediately give? For your faith helps your mother. And behold. She is made whole! And as through me, the city of Catania is glorified, so through you, the city of Syracuse will be glorified. And adorned, because you have made a welcome home for Christ in your virginity.”
How long did Saint Lucy live?
Saint Lucy was from Syracuse, Sicily, and was engaged to be married. When her mother fell ill, she went to Catania to pray to Saint Agatha to save her from the bloodshed. When she arrived at Catana, she saw Saint Agatha in a dream. The saint promised her mother was healing from her illness, and she had already announced her muciferous sufferings for Christ. After her mother’s recovery, St. Lucy divided all her possessions among the poor and was ready to confess to Christ.
According to biblical writings, Saint Lucy lived for 21 years on earth and is now venerated as a saint by Catholics, Anglicans, Lutherans, and Orthodox believers.
She was betrayed by her fiancé and brought before Pashasie, the city’s lord. Who ordered her to be taken to a house of evil, to be defiled? But by the grace of Christ. She was kept clean, and many came upon her, but they could not remove her from where she was standing. Because they had lost hope that they could move her from her place and could not burn her with the fire they had kindled in her home. They cut off her head with the sword.
What is Saint Lucy known for?
Amid the suffering she had endured in her life. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, she stood unmoved and unharmed, saying to the tyrant, ‘I have prayed to my Lord Jesus Christ that this fire may not have dominion over me; and the Lord Jesus Christ stood unmoved and unharmed, saying to the tyrant, ‘I have prayed to my Lord Jesus Christ that this fire may not have dominion over me; and that those who hope in Christ may laugh at you. Therefore I have asked for the length of my suffering, that I may take away the fear of the laborers from those who believe, and that those who do not think so may be spared the voice of mockery, that they may not mock Christians anymore.
St. Lucy is known to have suffered martyrdom because of her fiancé. And some of Pashasie’s friends, not liking to see him in great anger and intemperance, commanded him to strike her with the sword over her neck.
So they went home with Pashasias, and the saint, though much wounded. They did not weaken but prayed and spoke to the people, saying, “I bless you that peace has been given to the Church of God. Because Diocletian has fallen from the kingdom, Maximian is now dead; and the city of Catania has my sister, Saint Agathatia. As an intercessor to God, you should know me as sent from God to this city; but only if you will do His will and receive His faith.” These words Lucia, the handmaid of God, with her throat pierced by the sword. Behold before her eyes were brought Pashasius bound in chains. The Sicilians had secretly sent to Rome, proclaiming that Pashasius mercilessly mocked that city, plundering it and taking away foreign things.
Who is Lucy in the Bible?
Saint Lucy was captured by the lieutenant of the governor of the Province of Campania (Italy), Rix, who forced her to sacrifice to the gods. Lucia refused outright to do so and so courageously confessed to our Lord Jesus Christ that Rix also received Christian teaching and holy baptism.
In the Bible, St. Lucy is considered the Virgin of Syracuse, the spiritual patroness of ophthalmologists, and the protector of sight and eyes. Every year, on 13 December, Catholic and Orthodox believers alike celebrate her.
His life resembled the life of angels through humility, prayer, and fasting. For his humility, he took such a gift from God that he could perform extraordinary miracles, even raising the dead, as shown in the Egyptian Paternity.
Key Verse related to Saint Lucy
“Nobody is polluted to endanger the soul if it has not pleased the mind. If you were to lift my hand to your idol and make me offer against my will, I would still be guiltless in the sight of the true God, who judges according to the will and knows all things. If now, against my will, you cause me to be polluted, a twofold purity will be gloriously attributed to me. You cannot bend my will to your purpose; whatever you do to my body, that cannot happen to me.”

What does the name Lucy mean?
Every year on 13 December, Catholic and Orthodox believers celebrate the feast of Saint Lucy, the Virgin of Syracuse, considered the spiritual patron saint of ophthalmologists and protector of sight and eyes.
Saint Lucy’s name has devotional significance in Christian times and corresponds to the Latin Lúcius(-a), explained by the verb Lucio, lucerne – “to make light” and the noun lux, lumen – “light.” The faith and sacrifice of this maiden have permeated the folklore of Western Christian peoples. The faith and sacrifice of this maiden have permeated the folklore of Western Christian peoples.
Saint Lucy is known to have come from Syracuse, Sicily. Because one day, her mother fell ill, she took her, and together they went on a pilgrimage to Catania to pray to Saint Agatha to stop her from bleeding. Lucia then had a dream in which Saint Agatha appeared to her, promising her that her mother would be cured of her illness… But Saint Agatha also told her that she would suffer greatly from the Christian faith.
How did Saint Lucy lose her eyes?
So at that time, a commandment came from Rome that he should be brought to trial in prison, where, being questioned. He was condemned to death, having had his head cut off. Also, he perished with a sound. The saint, still alive, saw his beheading in the beasts and standing in the place of labor. Where she was wounded, her spirit did not leave her until the priests came and gave her the holiest and life-giving sacraments of Christ.
According to historical records, Saint Lucy lost her eyes when her future husband’s friends beat her. They struck her with an iron behind her neck and caused her such significant trauma that this is believed to have been the source of her loss of sight. And then they slit her throat.
When they all said, “Amen,” the holy nun gave her honest soul into the hands of the Lord. And she was placed in that place of honor, where he built a church over her, in her name and recognition of God in the Trinity, who the Father worships and the Son and the Holy Spirit, to whom be glory forever.
Where is St. Lucy buried?
In a dream, St. Agatha told her that she would become a martyr. So, after her mother got well, St. Lucy chose to donate all her savings to the poor and dedicate her life to Jesus Christ, even though she was engaged. Her fiancé, when he found out, went in anger and complained to the lord of the city, Pashasie, who demanded that she be taken to a brothel to be mocked.
According to historians, Saint Lucy is buried in Venice, where a cathedral was built after the martyrdom suffered by your martyr girl.
How old was St. Lucy when she died? The Church of Saint Lucy stands where Saint Lucy was martyred and died in 304. The history of the church can be traced back to the Norman period.
Primary Takeaways
- It is known that Saint Lucia came from Syracuse, Sicily. Because one day her mother fell ill, she took her. And together, they went on a pilgrimage to Catania to pray to Saint Agatha to stop her mother from bleeding. Then Lucia had a dream in which Saint Agatha appeared to her. Promising that her mother would be cured of her illness. But Saint Agatha also told her that she would suffer a lot from the Christian faith.
- After her mother’s recovery, St. Lucy divided all her possessions among the poor. But her fiancé betrayed her, saying she believed in Christ and was a virgin. The city’s ruler ordered her to be taken to a house of debauchery so that she would be dishonest. But God did not let this horror happen. Nevertheless, she was burned, then beheaded by the sword.
- The cult of the virgin spread beyond Sicily and throughout the West. Saint Gregory the Great, in a letter, speaks of two monasteries in her honor. One in Rome and the other in Syracuse. For her name, which refers to light, she became the protector of sight.
Read also: Who is Rahab? Who did Rahab marry?
Conclusion
The saying “it’s getting as hard as Lucy’s chair” is still used today and refers to something that is hard to do or keeps getting delayed. Whoever managed to finish the stool and climbed on it at vespers could recognize the witches among the women in the church.
Because he distributed his goods to the poor in various places, his feast was accompanied by the custom of giving gifts to children. Santa Lucia is a kind of Santa Claus for many Italian children. She comes to good children on the night of 12-13 December. The little ones wait for Santa Lucia with a cup of milk on the windowsill. They also put biscuits for the saint and carrots for the donkey she is supposed to bring to their homes. And there are many processions dedicated to the miracle-working and gracious saint.
Bibliography
- Dhillon, N., Dua, H. S., & Singh, A. D. (2009). How old was St. Lucy when she died? Saint Lucy is the patron saint of the blind. British Journal of Ophthalmology, 93(10), 1275-1275.
- Moffitt, J. F. (1997). DOMENICO VENEZIANO’S” SAINT LUCY” ALTARPIECE: THE CASE FOR” UTERINE PERSPECTIVE. ” SOURCE: How old was St. Lucy when she died? Notes in the History of Art, 16(4), 14-24.
- Roberts, A. M. (1984). Silver points by the Master of the Legend of Saint Lucy. How old was St. Lucy when she died? Oud Holland, 237-245.
- Rooney, A. (2011). How old was St. Lucy when she died? The Intercessions of Saint Ciarán the Elder, and: The Eyes of Saint Lucy. Prairie Schooner, 85(4), 90-93.
- Tiatco, A. P. (2012). Imag (in) ing Saint Lucy: How old was St. Lucy when she died? The narrative and performative construction of the Kuraldal in Sasmuan, Philippines. Philippine Humanities Review, 14(1).