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

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For firefighters

St. Barbara (died c. 235)

Feast day: December 4

A moment after St. Barbara’s father martyred her, he himself was struck down by fire from heaven. From this incident firefighters took St. Barbara as their patron.

Although the cult of St. Barbara is at least 1300 years old and devotion to her remains strong, no verifiable facts have come down to us about her. Her “biography,” The Acts of St. Barbara, written in 10th century, is a fine story but it should not be confused with history.

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The Acts tell us that Barbara lived in Nicomedia. She was beautiful and her father Dioscorus feared that some glib, handsome young man would come along and seduce Barbara. To protect his daughter’s virtue Dioscorus built a tower, surrounded the tower with pleasant gardens, and encircled the entire compound with a high wall. Here Barbara lived with only elderly philosophers for company.

From her studies with the philosophers Barbara came to the conclusion that the pagan gods were figments of the human imagination. In her quest for a philosophy that taught the truth she wrote to the Christian philosopher Origen inviting him to her tower. Since Origen could not visit Barbara personally he sent a learned priest named Valentinian in his place. From Valentinian Barbara learned the mysteries of the Christian faith and found at last a philosophy that satisfied her mind and heart. When she had learned everything that Valentinian could teach her, she asked to be baptized.

In her zeal for her new faith Barbara took all the images of the pagan gods her father had placed in the tower and threw them out the window. Then she called stonemasons: her tower had only two windows, she ordered them to add a third in honor of the Blessed Trinity.

News Barbara’s conversion and her destruction of the idols enraged Dioscorus. He hurried to the tower, grabbed his daughter by the hair, and dragged her to the magistrate. Then he stood aside and watched as his own child was beaten with iron rods and her flesh torn with iron hooks. In spite of the pain, Barbara refused to renounce her faith.

Nearly mad with rage Dioscorus begged the magistrate for the honor of executing Barbara himself. With the judge’s assent Dioscorus took an ax and struck off Barbara’s head. No sooner had the martyr’s body had fallen to the ground when fire fell from heaven to consume Dioscorus where he stood.

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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}