St. Blase
Bishop and martyr invoked against ailments of the throat, recalled in the blessing of throats on his feast.
- Born
- 3rd century, Armenia
- Died
- c. 316 (martyred)
- Canonized
- Pre-Congregation
- Patronage
- Throat ailments
St. Blase (also spelled Blaise) was, according to tradition, a physician who became bishop of Sebaste in Armenia, in what is now Sivas, Turkey, in the late third and early fourth centuries. Reliable historical records of his life are scarce: the Acts of his martyrdom were composed centuries after his death and are heavily legendary, so nearly everything told of him must be received as pious tradition rather than verified history. What is certain is that his veneration as a bishop and martyr arose early and spread with extraordinary vigor through both East and West. According to these traditional accounts, when persecution broke out under the emperor Licinius, Blase withdrew to a cave in the wilderness, where wild animals were said to come to him tamely for healing and blessing. Discovered by hunters, he was arrested by the governor Agricolaus, tortured with iron wool-combs that tore his flesh, and finally beheaded around the year 316. The most beloved story relates that while in prison he miraculously saved a boy who was choking to death on a fishbone, the origin of his patronage of those suffering from ailments of the throat. By the sixth century Blase was invoked in the East for diseases of the throat, and by the Middle Ages he was one of the most popular saints in Europe, counted among the Fourteen Holy Helpers. From the instruments of his torture he also became patron of wool combers, and the city of Dubrovnik in Croatia has honored him as its protector for over a thousand years, keeping relics of the saint in its cathedral. Blase was venerated long before formal canonization processes existed. His feast is kept on February 3, the day after Candlemas, when Catholic churches throughout the world offer the blessing of throats: two candles, blessed the previous day, are crossed at the throat of each of the faithful with a prayer through the intercession of St. Blase for deliverance from every ailment of the throat and every other evil. This simple sacramental has kept devotion to the ancient martyr vividly alive to the present day.