Saint Agatha of Sicily
16″ x 20″, Oil on Panel, 2021
by Charles C. Clear III
1,771 years ago, in Catania, Sicily, there was a beautiful young woman named Agatha. She was a devout early Christian who took a vow of virginity. The governor of the district, a Roman prefect named Quintianus, demanded that she turn away from her vow and marry him. She refused. After repeatedly rejecting his advances, he had her interrogated, tortured, and imprisoned, where she was martyred for her faith in the year 251.
Fast Forward to 2007: Bonnie Lee Turner and I were commissioned to create a large Mosaic for the Altar of Saint Agatha Church in Woonsocket, Rhode island. It was an ambitious, back-breaking project, and despite the tight deadline, we completed the work in time for Easter. The Architects that commissioned the Mosaic were very pleased, as was the Church.
Immediately following that Mosaic project, the Monisgnor of Saint Agatha asked us to design a stained glass window for the Church. The window would feature Agatha. We carefully composed a design that told her story and was rich in symbolism. I painted a small painting for the Monsignor to illustrate what we had in mind. The design showed Agatha in a white dress sitting against an olive tree, praying, holding nippers. Her beloved hometown of Catania was all around her, but there before her were the Roman columns – the seat of power in Sicily.
The design was well received and the Church was ready to proceed. Unfortunately, the Church was unable to raise the money necessary to have the stained glass window made. As months turned to years, the stained glass window project was forgotten, and a new Monsignor came to the Church.
But I never forgot the story of Agatha and the design that I had painted for the stained glass window. I still wanted to celebrate her in some way. So I painted a quick study of Agatha in prayer, with her hand resting gently upon her heart; She is in prison, and although the prison cell is very dark, she is illuminated by the light and love of God.
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Charles C. Clear III
cc@oceanstateart.com