Saint Apollonia of Alexandria
Feast Day: February 9
Apollonia was a
martyr who was one of many killed by an anti-
Christian mob during unrest in
Alexandria in
249. Her suffering was described in a letter from
Bishop Dionysius of Alexandria to Bishop
Fabius of
Antioch.
"These men seized her also and by repeated blows broke all her teeth. They then erected outside the city gates a pile of fagots and threatened to burn her alive if she refused to repeat after them impious words. Given, at her own request, a little freedom, she sprang quickly into the fire and was burned to death.
In art, her suffering is often depicted with
pincers pulling out her teeth. Apollonia is the patron saint of
dentists.
Quote from The Catholic Encyclopedia