Cecilia (And Other Patron Saints) Quiz

Answer: Musicians

Cecilia was born in the 2nd century. Her feast day is November 22. Forced into a marriage with a man she did not love, she refused to concede her virginity to him. She, her husband and his two brothers were all put to death by the Roman emperor Severus. Cecilia was said to have been struck on the neck three times with a sword, but lived on for three days in agony following this.

She is accorded the patron saint of musicians because, as she was being wed, she "sang to the Lord in her heart" for strength and endurance.

Answer: Fishermen

Benno of Meissen, whose feast day is June 16, lived from 1010 until 1106, a nice long time for that period of history. He was a bishop in Germany. His life is noted for his disagreements with Henry IV of Germany, for becoming embroiled in the papal struggle at the time, and for fighting with the Saxons.

It was his work in his parish however that saw him canonised. He did much in the way of ecclesiastical reforms and vastly improving the lot of the poor. Because he is the patron saint of fishermen, he is often portrayed as holding a fish, and with keys in his mouth.

This is said to be as a result of being excommunicated by Henry IV. In defiance, Benno threw the keys to the cathedral in the river, where they were later found by a fisherman and returned to the fiery bishop.

Answer: Florists

Dorothea died circa 311, but her birth date is obscured by the mists of time. She is often portrayed in works of art holding roses and fruit, and with a garland of flowers in her hair. Even as a young and extremely beautiful girl, she refused to worship the idols of the time, remaining resolute to her love for the Lord. For this, she and her family were persecuted.

The date of her death is unknown, but that she was beheaded for her faith is clear. Her martyrdom took place during the most severe period of Christian persecutions carried out by the Roman empire. Dorothea's feast day is February 6.

Answer: Chimney sweeps

Another saint whose birth year is unknown, Florian died circa 304. His feast day is celebrated on 4 May every year. As a young man he joined the Roman army, rising to become one of its leading commanders in Austria. For this reason he is also recognised as a patron saint of that country. During the excessively savage Diocletian persecutions of Christians, Florian refused to let these worshippers be tortured in the prescribed manner.

He also refused to worship idols. When reports of this filtered back to his superiors, he was sentenced to death, and, with a large rock tied around his neck, was drowned in the River Enns.

His original sentence had been to be burned at the stake, but while tied to that object, he defied his executioners to light the pyre, stating that if they did, he would climb to heaven on its flames. For this he is associated by those who wish to be protected against fire.

This is where his association with chimney sweeps springs from.

Answer: Pharmacists

Saint Damian died in the year 287. He and his twin brother Cosmas, who is also a saint, were Christian martyrs put to death in Anatolia. Their work for the Lord was carried out in Ayas, Adana and in Syria, where they preached to the crowds and converted many to Christianity, always refusing to be paid for their services.

When they were finally arrested, they were tortured terribly but refused to renounce their faith. Ultimately, they were beheaded. Three of their younger brothers were also put to death in this manner.

Their association with those in the medical field came about as a result of early transplant work in the field of amputations where it is said they also successfully grafted the leg of a newly deceased Ethiopian onto an amputation site of another living white man. See, it doesn't matter if you're black or white at all.

Answer: Bakers

Elisabeth of Hungary, whose feast day is November 17, was born in 1207 and died in 1231. She was a royal princess of that country. Married when she was only fourteen, she was widowed by the time she was twenty. Using the money from her reclaimed dowry, she subsequently built a hospital for the ill and dying, and nursed them there herself. Even during her marriage however, Elisabeth was known throughout the land for her charitable endeavours. Her husband, a nice placid one for the times, went along with all his wife did quite complacently, more than happy to have his wealth spread around by her, and only objecting on one occasion when she put a dying leper in his bed. Theirs was one of those marriages of true love, unusual for the times. When news of his death was imparted to her, Elisabeth cried out in grief, "He is dead. He is dead. It is to me as if the whole world died today."

The work she carried out for the ill and sick following his death, and the life she subsequently led, was similar to that of a nun, even to the extent of including celibacy. She devoted the rest of her short life to this. With several miracles attributed to her, this generous and caring woman is often depicted with foods in her arms, particularly that of bread, which she distributed among the poor and needy wherever she found them.

Answer: Eunuchs

Hopefully, nobody will ever have recourse to seek the intervention of this saint. Gang Bing was a Chinese general who served the emperor Yongle during the period of the Ming dynasty in that land. One of his duties was to take charge of the palace whenever the emperor was away on hunting trips. This included looking after the emperor's harem of royal concubines and wives. Such was his loyalty to the emperor that Gang Bing, to protect his reputation, and to honour his emperor, castrated himself. This was to avoid being accused of betraying his ruler's trust as far as the ladies went. A bit drastic, to be sure. Gang Bing then carefully placed his severed organs, which included the penis as well, into a bag which he hid under the saddle of the emperor's horse. Poor horse. When the emperor returned, and Gang Bing was accused of monkey business in the harem, he immediately proved his innocence by displaying the decomposing fruits of his sacrifice.

This so impressed the emperor that he declared Gang Bing a saint, and following Gang Bing's death in 1411, built a cemetery for eunuchs and a large hall in his honour. This became known among the people as the Eunuch's Temple. Its official name was "The Ancestral Hall of the Exalted Brave and Loyal". When communist rule came to China many centuries later, that regime renamed this building and cemetery the "Beijing Municipal Cemetery for Revolutionaries".

Answer: Astronauts

Saint Joseph also looks after air travellers, aviators and test takers of aeronautical equipment. He was born in Italy in 1603 and died in 1663. He was chosen as the patron saint for anyone who leaves terra firma because he apparently had the ability to levitate at will.

This Italian friar was said to be somewhat lacking in intelligence but often experienced such intense visions that he could only stare wordlessly afterwards with mouth agape. His feast day is celebrated each year on September 18.

Answer: Soldiers

Martin of Tours lived from 316 until 397. He was the bishop for that area of France for some years from the year 371, and during this time destroyed as many pagan temples as he possibly could, converting their people to Christianity. Today his shrine there is still visited by pilgrims from all the world every year. Because he was born in Hungary, spent his early years in Italy, but most of his adult life in France, he is looked upon as a spiritual bridge across Europe. Before joining the church, this saint was a soldier for some years, hence his connection to that fine group of people.

A legend associated with Saint Martin is that he once cut his long military cloak in half to help clothe a shivering beggar, but in the morning when he awoke, his cloak had been restored to its full length. Such is the strength of the belief in that miracle that many Merovingian kings carried that cloak into battle with them for years afterwards. Saint Martin is also the patron saint for beggars, wool weavers, tailors, innkeepers, and for the nation of France.

Answer: Orphans

Saint Ursula's date of birth and death is uncertain. Her feast day however is celebrated on October 21 every year. She was a British princess who was sent overseas to marry the pagan governor of Armorica in France. Many handmaidens, all of whom were said to be virgins, accompanied her. Landing safely after a dreadful storm at sea, Ursula and her handmaidens decided to make a pilgrimage to Rome before her marriage. Alas, on the trip back from Rome, as the group journeyed through Cologne, they were besieged by the Huns attacking that city there, and every single member of the virginal party were massacred. Poor little Ursula was thought to be only eleven years old when she died.