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[[Image:Aa-StLucy.jpg|right|thumb|Saint Lucy of Syracuse.]]
Saint '''Lucy the Virgin-Martyr''' (283-304), also known as '''Saint Lucia''', was born in Syracuse, Sicily and was martyred for the Christian faith in the persecution of Emperor Diocletian around the year 304 AD. Her [[feast day]] is celebrated on [[December 13]].
Lucy secretly consecrated her virginity to God, and distributed her wealth to the poor. Since she refused to marry a pagan, the rejected suitor denounced her to the prefect Paschasius as a Christian, and she was arrested.
She was first of all condemned to suffer the shame of prostitution; but in the strength of God she stood immovable, so that they could not drag her away to the place of shame, and thus she preserved her purity. Then the pagans attempted to burn her alive, and heaped bundles of wood about her and set them on fire, and again God saved her. Finally, she was killed by a sword thrust to the throat, and so she gave her spirit up to God.''Holy Martyr Lucy, pray to God for us!''
Lucy's name is derived from the Latin word ''lux'' or ''lucis'' meaning "light", and since there is a late tradition that she was blinded by her torturers, she is regarded as the patron saint of eyesight, of the blind, and of lucidity.<ref group="note">In western art, Lucy's eyes sometimes appear on a tray that she is holding (which bears a resemblance to an icon of St. [[Paraskevi]]).</ref> She should not be confused with St Lucy of Campania (July 6).
* [[w:Saint Lucy|Saint Lucy]] at Wikipedia.
* Peter Popham. "[http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/santa-lucia-of-the-gondoliers-brought-home-to-sicily-after-a-millennium-691612.html Santa Lucia of the gondoliers brought home to Sicily after a millennium]." The Independent (UK). 17 December 2004.
* Great Synaxaristes: {{el icon}} '''In Greek'''* [http://www.synaxarion.gr/gr/sid/1440/sxsaintinfo.aspx Ἡ Ἁγία Λουκία ἡ Παρθενομάρτυς].'' 13 Δεκεμβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
[[Category:Martyrs]]
[[Category:Saints]]
[[Category:Italian Saints]]
[[Category:Ante-Nicene Saints]]
[[Category:Pre-Schism Western Saints]]
[[Category:4th-century saints]]
[[el:Λουκία ἡ Παρθενομάρτυς]]