St. Apollonia Image Courtesy: St. Paul Street Evangelization
(CNA) Apollonia was a Holy Virgin who was Martyred for her faith in Jesus Christ in Alexandria during persecutions against Christians in the early 3rd Century — Apollonia’s martyrdom came just before the persecution of Decius (249-251)
During festivities commemorating the founding of the Roman Empire a mob began attacking Christians, while many Christians were fleeing the city abandoning all of their possessions, Apollonia was seized by the mob, beating her and knocking her teeth out, subsequently lighting a large fire, the mob threatened to throw Apollonia into the flames if she refused to renounce her Christian faith. Apollonia begged them to wait for a moment (pretending to be considering their demands) when she was given a brief moment at her request, she sprang quickly into the fire and was consumed by the flames.
Apollonia belongs to a class of early Christian Martyrs, who when confronted with the choice between renouncing their faith or suffering death, voluntarily embraced the latter.
More here and here on the Life of St. Apollonia, Martyr for Christ
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