(C.D. Stampley Enterprises, Charlotte, NC 2001). Used with permission.

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For physicians

Ss. Cosmas and Damian (died c.287)

Feast day: September 26

The patron saints of physicians, Ss. Cosmas and Damian, were doctors who never charged their patients a fee.

The twin brothers Cosmas and Damian were Arab Christians who studied medicine at an academy in Syria. They opened a joint practice in the city of Aegeae near modern-day Iskendrun, Turkey. There the brothers made a name for themselves by treating the sick without charging any fee, and for teaching their patients about Christianity. When persecution broke out in Asia Minor, Cosmas and Damian were among its first targets.

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They were arrested with their three younger brothers Anthimus, Leontius, and Euprepius, and arraigned before the Roman governor who condemned all five to death. The legend says the brothers were chained hand and foot and thrown into the sea, but they floated safely on the surface. Then they were bound to stakes to be burned, but the flames billowed away from the martyrs. Next they were tied to crosses and bystanders and soldiers invited to throw rocks and shoot arrows at them, but the missiles turned back striking the assailants instead. In the end Cosmas and Damian and their brothers were all beheaded.

By the year 400 a church had been built over the martyrs’ grave. By the year 500 so miracles were being wrought at the shrine the custodians of the church began to record them (the record has come down to us). Ss. Cosmas and Damian were so popular in Rome {ln:Pope} St. Felix III (reigned 526-530) acquired their relics and enshrined them in a fine basilica which still stands overlooking the Forum near the Colosseum.

It was the custom for invalids seeking the intercession of Ss. Cosmas and Damian to spend the night in the martyrs’ church. The saints would come to the sick person in a dream and heal them by performing a miraculous medical procedure. The most famous case tells of a man whose leg was being eaten away by cancer. He had himself carried to the Basilica of Ss. Cosmas and Damian where he settled down for the night near their shrine. In a dream he saw the brother saints amputate his diseased leg and replace it with the leg of a Moor who had just died that day. The next morning the man awoke to find he was perfectly healthy and had a new leg, albeit a black one.

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Prayer to the saints is a powerful thing.

Now, with Saints for Every Occasion, readers can quickly find help for any challenge they face – no matter how large or small. Author Thomas J. Craughwell profiles 101 patron saints from various continents, cultures and times – from saints who were contemporaries of Christ, to modern patrons like Padre Pio and Faustina Kowalska. Each saint lived heroically in difficult times and circumstances, providing powerful examples of how to turn almost any obstacle into a source of grace. Along with old favorites such as St. Anthony and St. Jude, Craughwell offers patrons for specifically modern concerns, including, for example, saints to watch over astronauts, internet users and environmental activists. Beautifully illustrated and entertainingly told, Saints for Every Occasion features 101 patron saints readers will seek out time and again.

“An excellent resource for home and classroom use.” – Publisher’s Weekly {/tabs}