St. Agnes, January 21
A Roman girl of 12 or 13, Agnes refused marriage and died a martyr around 304. Her name recalls the Latin for lamb, and each January 21 the pope blesses two lambs whose wool is woven into the pallium worn by archbishops. Her basilica stands on Rome’s Via Nomentana.
On the General Roman Calendar, January 21 is a memorial: Saint Agnes, virgin and martyr.
Other saints on January 21
- St. Meinrad, hermit of Einsiedeln (861)
Name days on January 21
In countries that keep name days, January 21 is the day for people named Agnes and Inez. These names come from the same saint, as variants, nicknames or forms used in other languages.
| Name | Feast day |
|---|---|
| Agnes | January 21 |
| Inez | January 21 |
January 21 on the calendar
January 21 is the 21st day of the year, with 344 days left until December 31. Here is the day of the week it falls on in the coming years:
| Year | Day |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Wednesday |
| 2027 | Thursday |
| 2028 | Friday |
| 2029 | Sunday |
| 2030 | Monday |
Keeping January 21
January 21 falls in winter. As a memorial, the saint is named in the opening prayer of every Mass celebrated that day. Families who keep name days often mark the day with a card, a candle or a favorite meal, and parishes named after the saint may hold a festival. If you know someone named Agnes and Inez, it is a good day to send a note.
Saints of the week around January 21
| Date | Saint or feast |
|---|---|
| January 18 | St. Margaret of Hungary |
| January 19 | St. Wulfstan |
| January 20 | Sts. Fabian and Sebastian |
| January 22 | St. Vincent of Saragossa |
| January 23 | St. Marianne Cope |
| January 24 | St. Francis de Sales |
The day before, January 20, is the day of Sts. Fabian and Sebastian. The day after, January 22, belongs to St. Vincent of Saragossa. Looking for a name? Try the name day calendar or go back to today’s saint.