Why is St Cecilia the Patron Saint of Musicians?

On 22 November the Church celebrates the memorial of St Cecilia, virgin and martyr. Christian tradition regards her as the patron saint of musicians, so much so that there are many activities of a musical nature held on her feast day, and a number of choirs named after her. But why is she associated with music?

St Cecilia lived around the third century and her cult was so widespread in Rome that her name was inserted in the Roman Canon—which is the First Eucharistic Prayer. In the account of her martyrdom, St Cecilia is praised for her great example of Christian womanhood in guarding her virginity and suffering martyrdom for the love of Christ.

According to early sources, it appears that Cecilia came from a noble family and had made a vow of virginity to God, but her parents gave her into marriage to Valerian, a pagan youth also from a noble family. It is said that, when they went to their living quarters after the wedding, Cecilia told Valerian that an angel was with her jealously guarding her purity. Valerian wanted proof of this, so she sent him along the Via Appia to meet with Pope Urban to baptise him. Valerian did as he was told and upon his return he saw the Angel beside her. It is said that this event prompted Valerian’s brother, Tiburtius, to be baptised, and together they began to evangelise and bury those Christians who had suffered martyrdom.

St Cecilia’s connection to music is probably based on an erroneous tradition in one of the accounts on her life that says: cantantibus organis illa in corde suo soli domino decantabat. Although the correct translation for this phrase is that, at the wedding feast, while the musicians played, Cecilia sang in her heart to her Lord alone. Most probably, the phrase ‘Cantantibus organis’ was misinterpreted to mean that Cecilia herself was playing the organ. It is for this reason that, in her iconographic representations from the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, St Cecilia is often depicted as playing an organ.

Moving on from this anecdote, it would be appropriate to remember with gratitude those who are responsible for music and singing during the liturgy—many of whom are volunteers—and to pray for them in order that, through their ministry, they may truly raise the hearts of the congregation to the Lord.