St. Cecilia
d. 230
Patron of musicians, composers, singers, poets
Saint Cecilia (second or third century) is one of the most venerated virgin-martyrs of the Roman Church, named in the ancient Canon of the Mass alongside Agatha, Lucy, and Agnes. According to her Acts, she was a young patrician of Rome, betrothed against her will to a pagan noble named Valerian. On her wedding night she confided to him her secret vow of virginity, telling him that an angel of God watched over her purity.