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Christopher was born in Palestine
and lived in the first century. He was the son of a blacksmith
and was said to be twenty-four feet tall . Obsessed with seeking
out the greatest king, he joined the army of an evil tribal
chieftain and became a Satan worshipper. But when the Devil
himself appeared and scurried away from an old hermit because
of the white cross around his neck, Christopher realized that
there must be a more powerful King. He befriended the hermit,
who was a ferryman, and became his employee. Legend has it that
on a particularly dark, stormy night, an infant appeared and
asked the towering ferryman to carry him across the river. As
they progressed the current got stronger and his load grew heavier
but with his last remaining strength, he delivered his passenger
safely to the other side. The child revealed himself to be Baby
Jesus and changed the giant’s name to Christopher (Greek
for Christ-bearer). The giant was then baptized, and traveled
around Asia Minor preaching and closing whorehouses. It was
believed in the Middle Ages that if you looked at an image of
St. Christopher you wouldn’t die that day, and many churches
across Europe kept a painting or statue of him near the doorway.
Despite being one of the fourteen Holy Helpers, Christopher
was de-canonized in 1969. He is also the patron of bachelors,
bus drivers, ferryboatmen, horsemen, police officers, skiers
and truck drivers; and he's invoked against peril from water,
tempests, plagues, sudden death and nightmares. His feast day
is July 25. |
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| St.
Christopher
Patron St. of
Travelers |
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