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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]]. 

There is no doubt of the great veneration that was shown to St. Lucy by the early church. She is one of those few female saints whose names occur in the canon of Pope [[Gregory the Dialogist|Gregory the Great]], and there are special prayers and [[antiphon]]s for her in his Sacramentary. She is also commemorated in the ancient [[w:Roman Martyrology|Roman Martyrology]]. At the beginning of the 8th century the Bishop Aldhelm of Sherborne included a brief account of her life among the virgins praised in ''De Laude Virginitatis,'' and following him, the Venerable [[Bede]] inserted the story in his Martyrology.