Much more has been recorded about St. Cecily after her death than before. Cecily lived in the 200s and, along with her husband, his brother, and another friend, was martyred during one of the various rounds of persecutions against their minority religion. After Cecily died, her body was placed in an unmarked grave. Then, some centuries later, an old pope named Paschal nodded off during evening prayers one night, and had a visitation from Cecily. She told him where he could find her remains, and that he should do so. Accordingly, old Paschal found her buried body, “clothed in a robe of gold tissue, with linen cloths at her feet, dipped in her blood.” The expected celebrations, translations of relics, building of fine vaults, and pilgrimages followed.

Still, there is one thing known about Cecily’s life itself–beyond her martyrdom–that the Church has preserved in its long memory: Cecily sang! AND she frequently joined her voice with instrumental music in the worship of God! She used the Psalms and various canticles in her musical praise, and her offerings were recognized as an outward expression of an interior gratitude and grace. People were moved spiritually and not merely (or even primarily) aesthetically through Cecily’s music.

We do not know if Cecily was spontaneous in her musical acts of worship, if she sang upon request, if there was some ancient equivalent of an open mic time during worship, if it was common or uncommon for vocal and instrumental music to be combined at that time–but what has survived is the vivid recollection, held fast and spoken and written of for almost 1800 years now, that what Cecily brought to her worshipping community of both women and men made a magnificent, meaningful.

I am indeed thankful for Cecily, and for all whose music has inspired, motivated, moved, and shaped my soul!