Description
Saint Apollonia of Alexandria: virgin martyr and patron of dental care
Saint Apollonia was an elderly Christian deaconess or consecrated woman of Alexandria who suffered during anti-Christian violence around AD 249. A letter by Bishop Dionysius, preserved by the historian Eusebius, records that a mob struck her face and broke her teeth, then threatened to burn her unless she denied Christ. She refused. Her witness led Christians to invoke her during tooth and jaw pain and made her the traditional patron of dentists and other dental professionals.
Iconography and spiritual meaning
Apollonia holds pincers, sometimes shown with a tooth, the attribute that identifies her martyrdom. In sacred art the instrument is not meant to glorify violence; it transforms what was used to humiliate her into a sign of steadfast conscience. The cross and composed posture place her suffering within faith in Christ and the hope of resurrection.
For prayer and Christian devotion
This icon is especially appropriate for dentists, dental hygienists, technicians, oral surgeons, students of dentistry, and people living with tooth or jaw pain. It can be placed in a dental office, clinic, home prayer corner, chapel, or hospital ministry room as an aid to prayer for patience, skill, and compassionate care.
Crafted on linden wood in Poland
Art Christiana makes the icon to order in Poland on a double-primed linden-wood board. The image is applied directly to the prepared surface, enhanced with decorative gold-tone schlagmetal, and protected with varnish. A certificate marked with the year of production and a hanging fixture are fitted on the reverse.