Saint Blaise facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Saint Blaise of Sebaste
Saint Blaise confronting the Roman governor - scene from a stained glass window from the area of Soissons (Picardy, France), early 13th century
Hieromartyr, Holy Helper
Born	3 February (Eastern: 11 February) ? AD Sebastea, historical Lesser Armenia
Died	316 AD (aged between his 30s and 40s)
Venerated in	Catholic Church Eastern Orthodox Church Oriental Orthodox Church Anglican Communion
Major shrine	St Blaise's Church
Feast	3 February (Catholic, Anglican Communion) Usually in January (date varies)(Armenian Apostolic) 11 February (Eastern Orthodox and Greek Catholic)
Attributes	Bishop, animals, crossed candles, tending a choking boy, wool comb
Patronage	Infants; animals; builders; stonecutters; carvers; drapers; wool workers; wool industry; veterinarians; physicians; healing; throats; the sick; against choking; ENT illnesses; Bradford; Salerno; Maratea; Sicily; Dubrovnik; Ciudad del Este, Paraguay; Campanário, Madeira; Rubiera and Sebaste, Antique.

Blaise of Sebaste (Greek: Ἅγιος Βλάσιος, Hágios Blásios; Latin: Blasius martyred 316 AD) was a physician and bishop of Sebastea in historical Lesser Armenia (modern Sivas, Turkey) who is venerated as a Christian saint and martyr. He is counted as one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers.

Blaise is a saint in the Catholic, Western Rite Orthodoxy, Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Churches and is the patron saint of wool combers and of sufferers from ENT illnesses. In the Latin Church, his feast falls on 3 February. In the Eastern Churches, it is on 11 February.

Early records

The first reference to Blaise is the medical writings of Aëtius Amidenus (c. AD 500) where his aid is invoked in treating patients with objects stuck in the throat.

Marco Polo reported on the place where "Messer Saint Blaise obtained the glorious crown of martyrdom", Sebastea. The shrine near the citadel mount was mentioned by William of Rubruck in 1253, although the ruins are no longer visible.

Life

It is said from being a healer of bodily ailments, Saint Blaise was to become an expert on souls, then he retired for a time to a cavern where he remained in prayer. As bishop of Sebastea, Blaise instructed people as much by his example as by his words, and his great virtues and his sanctity were attested by many miracles. People were said to flock to him for cures of bodily and spiritual ills. He is said to have healed animals, who came to him on their own for his assistance, and in turn to have been helped by animals.

In 316 the governor of Cappadocia and Lesser Armenia, Agricola, began a persecution of him by order of the Emperor Licinius, and Blaise was seized. After his interrogation and a severe scourging, he was imprisoned and subsequently beheaded.

Iconography

In iconography, Blaise is represented holding two crossed candles in his hand (the Blessing of St Blaise), or in a cave surrounded by wild beasts, as he was found by the hunters of the governor. He is often shown with the instruments of his martyrdom, steel combs. The similarity of these instruments of torture to wool combs led to his adoption as the patron saint of wool combers in particular, and the wool trade in general. He may also be depicted with crossed candles. Such crossed candles are used for the blessing of throats on his feast day, which falls on 3 February, the day after Candlemas on the General Roman Calendar. Blaise is traditionally believed to intercede in cases of throat illnesses, especially for fish-bones stuck in the throat. He is also called upon to aid in protection against obstructive sleep apnea since this involves the throat tissues interfering with breathing during sleep. (Non-OSA sleep disorders are typically invoked with the intercession of St Dymphna since these are more neurological in nature.)

See also

• Blessing of the Throats
• Order of Saint Blaise
• San Biagio (disambiguation)
• Festivity of Saint Blaise, the patron of Dubrovnik
• The Bishop Blaize