Blaise
Blaise of Sebaste was a physician and bishop venerated as a Christian saint and martyr. He is known for his healing abilities, particularly for throat ailments, and is one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers. His martyrdom involved torture with iron combs and beheading.
- Feast Day
- 3 February
- Century
- 4th century
- Country Or Region
- Turkey
Key Facts
- ›Blaise was a physician and bishop of Sebastea in historical Lesser Armenia.
- ›He is venerated as a Christian saint and martyr in multiple church traditions.
- ›He is patron saint of wool combers and sufferers from head and neck illnesses.
- ›His feast day is celebrated on February 3rd in the Latin Church and February 11th in the Eastern Churches.
- ›According to tradition, he was martyred by being beaten, tortured with iron combs, and beheaded.
- ›He is invoked for protection against throat illnesses, especially when a fish bone is stuck.
Saint Blaise, Hágios Blásios, Surb Vlas, Blasius, San Biagio, San Blas, São Brás, Sveti Vlaho, Sveti Blaž, Blasíus
Catholic Church, Western Rite Orthodoxy, Eastern Orthodox Church, Oriental Orthodox Churches
Wool Combers, Sufferers From Head and Neck Illnesses, Throat Illnesses, Wild Animals, Dubrovnik
Two Crossed Candles, Iron Combs, Wild Beasts
About Blaise
Blaise of Sebaste
Blaise of Sebaste, also known by his Greek name Hágios Blásios and Latin name Blasius, was a physician and bishop of Sebastea in historical Lesser Armenia (modern Sivas, Turkey). He is venerated as a Christian saint and martyr and is recognized as one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers. His life and martyrdom are primarily known through legendary accounts, with the earliest references appearing around the 5th century AD.
Life and Ministry
Tradition describes Blaise as a healer of both bodily and spiritual ailments. Before becoming bishop, he was a physician who exercised his art with great skill and piety. He eventually retired to a cavern for prayer and contemplation. As bishop, he instructed his flock through his example and teachings, and his sanctity was attested by numerous miracles. People flocked to him for cures, and it is said that even wild animals came to him for his blessing.
Martyrdom
In 316 AD, during a persecution of Christians ordered by Emperor Licinius, Blaise was arrested by Agricola, the governor of Cappadocia and Lesser Armenia. After an interrogation and severe scourging, he was imprisoned and subsequently beheaded. The legendary Acts of St Blaise, written about 400 years after his death, recount specific miracles performed during his arrest and imprisonment, including the healing of a child choking on a fish-bone and the recovery of a pig stolen by a wolf.
Veneration and Patronage
Blaise is venerated in the Catholic, Western Rite Orthodoxy, Eastern Orthodox, and Oriental Orthodox Churches. His feast day falls on February 3 in the Latin Church and February 11 in the Eastern Churches. He is widely venerated as the patron saint of wool combers, due to the instruments of his martyrdom resembling woolcombs, and of sufferers from throat and neck illnesses. The "Blessing of Saint Blaise" ritual, involving the use of crossed candles, is performed to invoke his intercession against throat ailments. His popularity grew significantly during the Middle Ages, with widespread devotion across Europe, and his legend is recounted in the 13th-century Legenda Aurea. His name is associated with numerous places, churches, and institutions, particularly in Italy, Croatia, and Great Britain. In iconography, he is often depicted holding two crossed candles or with the instruments of his torture, the steel combs.
Source: Wikipedia ↗
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Saint Blaise?
Saint Blaise was a physician and bishop of Sebastea in historical Lesser Armenia. He is venerated as a Christian saint and martyr for his faith and his healing abilities.
What is Saint Blaise known for?
He is chiefly remembered for his patronage of those suffering from throat illnesses, particularly for his intercession when a fish bone is stuck in the throat. He is also the patron saint of wool combers.
How was Saint Blaise martyred?
According to tradition, Saint Blaise was martyred by being beaten, tortured with iron combs, and finally beheaded in 316 AD under the orders of the governor Agricola.
When is Saint Blaise's feast day?
In the Latin Church, his feast day falls on February 3rd. In the Eastern Churches, it is celebrated on February 11th.
What is the Blessing of Saint Blaise?
The Blessing of Saint Blaise traditionally involves a priest holding two lit candles in a cross shape over the heads of the faithful or touching their throats with them, invoking his intercession against throat and other illnesses.
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