The tradition of the lambs of St. Agnes

 

Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth prepare the lambs for the Blessing in the Basilica of St Agnes Outside the Walls 

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The lambs of St Agnes: An ancient tradition of the Roman Church

Keeping with an ancient tradition, two lambs are blessed on the feast of Saint Agnes at the basilica bearing her name on Via Nomentana in Rome – the traditional site of her burial. The wool from these lambs will be woven into palliums for new archbishops, continuing a sacred tradition deeply rooted in history.

By Dorota Abdelmoula-Viet – Vatican City

The first mentions of the custom of blessing lambs at the tomb of St. Agnes, a young Roman martyr from the early 4th century, date back to the 6th century. The tradition is tied to an ancient legend about St. Agnes, who is said to have appeared to her parents after her death. Having come to pray at her tomb, they saw her surrounded by a choir of virgins and holding a pure lamb in her arms. Historical records also indicate that two lambs were once considered the “rent” paid by the monks of the Basilica of St. Agnes Outside the Walls to the Basilica of St. John Lateran. Members of the Lateran Chapter would present these lambs to the pope for his blessing.

A record from the archives of the Basilica of St Peter in Chains also documents the blessing of lambs in 1550, along with an explanation of the custom’s origins. “The origin of these lambs as rent paid to St John [Lateran] stems from St. Constantina, the daughter of Emperor Constantine, who endowed the church (though some say it was King Charles I). She founded the church and monastery of St. Agnes, granting them significant assets. Since this monastery was a fief of the world’s first church, it annually paid two lambs to the canons as a token of acknowledgment. During the solemn Mass, after Communion, the lambs were blessed and handed over to the canons [...] A notary would draft a document confirming the handover. Those delivering the lambs to the pope received a few gold coins as payment,” the chronicle states.

Wool for Palliums for Archbishops

For centuries, lambs from the Trappist farm at the Abbey of Tre Fontane were taken directly from the Basilica of St Agnes to the Holy Father. He would receive them in a solemn procession and bless them. Later, the pope entrusted the lambs to the Benedictine nuns of the Basilica of St Cecilia in Trastevere, who sheared them after a few months. Their wool was then woven into palliums for newly appointed archbishops.

In recent years, some aspects of this tradition have changed: the Trappists no longer maintain the sheep farm, and the Holy Father no longer blesses the lambs in the Vatican. However, the tradition of entrusting the lambs to the Benedictine nuns remains unchanged. During Holy Week, the nuns shear the lambs to weave their wool into palliums. Before this, the lambs are prepared for the blessing ceremony at the Basilica of St Agnes by the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth, who have overseen this task at their home on Via Machiavelli for over 140 years. This year, the preparation of the lambs carried special significance: it coincided with the ongoing Jubilee Year and the 150th anniversary of the Congregation’s founding.

Caring for the Lambs: A Reflection of Hidden Life in Nazareth

In the 1880s, the newly established Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth was asked to take over the care of the lambs, replacing the sisters who previously handled this responsibility.

“Our Foundress, Blessed Maria Frances Siedliska, saw helping to prepare the lambs for the feast of St Agnes as an expression of our service to the Church,” said Sister Dorota Podwalska, CSFN, the provincial superior of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth in Rome, in an interview with Vatican Media. “Even today, our involvement in this tradition shows our love and fidelity to the Church.”

The preparation of the lambs has mainly remained the same over the years: on the eve of St. Agnes’ feast day, they are brought to the Holy Family Sisters’ house on Via Machiavelli. The sisters wash, feed, and care for the lambs overnight. The next day, the lambs are placed in two baskets. One basket is adorned with red roses, symbolizing martyrdom, and marked with the initials S.A.M. (Sant Agnese Martire). The other basket is decorated with white roses, symbolizing virginity, and marked with the initials S.A.V. (Sant Agnese Vergine).

A car from the Basilica of St. John Lateran arrives in the morning at the sisters’ home. Accompanied by two Lateran chamberlains, the lambs are taken to a solemn Mass at the Basilica of St Agnes Outside the Walls. The Abbot General of the Canons Regular of the Lateran usually celebrates this Mass. From there, the lambs are entrusted to the Benedictine nuns in Trastevere.

“One more element of our spirituality connects us to the tradition of the lambs,” said the provincial superior of the Sisters of Nazareth. “Our care for them and their preparation for the blessing is simple and hidden, just as the life of the Holy Family in Nazareth was hidden and ordinary.”