Portal:Catholic Church/Patron Archive/February 9

Saint Apollonia (Greek: Αγία Απολλωνία, Coptic: Ϯⲁⲅⲓⲁ Ⲁⲡⲟⲗⲗⲟⲛⲓⲁ) was one of a group of virgin martyrs who suffered in Alexandria during a local uprising against the Christians prior to the persecution of Decius. According to church tradition, her torture included having all of her teeth violently pulled out or shattered. For this reason, she is popularly regarded as the patroness of dentistry and those suffering from toothache or other dental problems. French court painter Jehan Fouquet painted the scene of St. Apollonia's torture in The Martyrdom of St. Apollonia. (Full article...)

Portrait of Saint Apollonia by Francisco de Zurbarán, Museum of Louvre

Attributes: Tongs (sometimes with a tooth in them), depicted holding a cross or martyr's palm or crown
Patronage: Dentists; Tooth problems; Elst, Belgium; Ariccia, Italy; Cuccaro Monferrato, Italy
See also: Rosa Francisca Dolors Molas Vallvé, Spain; Miguel Febres Cordero, Ecuador

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