St. Blaise

Saint Blaise

Saint Blaise is one of the most venerated wonderworking saints of Christian tradition and is counted among the famous Fourteen Holy Helpers.

According to tradition, Blaise lived around 316 A.D. in Sebaste, in present-day Turkey, during the reign of Emperor Licinius.

He was a physician greatly respected for his kindness, mercy and willingness to help anyone in need.

Saint Blaise cared equally for poor and rich, believers and non-believers, earning the affection and esteem of the entire population.

After the death of the bishop of Sebaste, the young Christian community chose him as their new shepherd and spiritual guide.

Shortly after the beginning of his episcopal ministry, persecutions against Christians resumed.

To protect him, the people convinced Saint Blaise to hide until the situation improved.

The saint therefore took refuge in a cave, where he lived peacefully among wild animals, caring for them with the same compassion he showed toward human beings.

According to tradition, birds brought him food and even fierce animals approached him peacefully.

One day, during a hunting expedition, hunters followed the animals to the cave and discovered the saint’s hiding place.

Saint Blaise was arrested and brought before the governor Agricola, who ordered him to renounce the Christian faith.

When the saint firmly refused, the governor subjected him to terrible tortures and finally had him beheaded.

Popular tradition especially remembers Saint Blaise for the famous miracle in which he saved a child choking because of a fishbone or thorn stuck in the throat.

For this reason, since the eleventh century, the ritual of the blessing of the throat has spread and is celebrated every year on his feast day using two crossed candles placed near the throat of the faithful.

Even today Saint Blaise remains one of the saints most invoked against throat illnesses, and many popular traditions are connected to his devotion.

Iconography: Saint Blaise is depicted as a bishop or elderly man with curly hair and beard, accompanied by a wool comb, candles, a book, a wolf or a pig.

Feast day: February 3.

Patronage: Of Dubrovnik, Maratea, Alleghe, physicians, weavers, shoemakers, musicians, bakers and invoked against throat diseases, cough, toothache, ulcers and colic.