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Patron Saint of Miners
By DaveS | October 18, 2010
With the recent miraculous evens in Chile, where 33 miners were rescued after having survived 69 days trapped underground in the San Jose Mine, it’s hard to reflect a bit on the patron saint of miners, St. Barbara. It was truly inspiring to watch, as one by one, the trapped miners were hoisted to the surface.
Saint Barbara’s feast day is celebrated on December 4th. She lived during the 3rd century and in addition to being the patroness of miners, architects, artillerymen, and builders pray for her intercession. It was her imprisonment by her father in a tower that led to her being associated with builders and the military.
When she was beheaded by her father, it is told that a bolt of lightning from the heavens struck him down. Thus, the association with firefighters and sudden disasters like mine collapses and why she is invoked for protection against such.
Topics: Saints and Angels | 2 Comments »
2 Responses to “Patron Saint of Miners”
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November 18th, 2010 at 2:55 pm
Looks like St. Barbara was looking out for the miners in Chile. So happy that they made it out and are doing well.
January 28th, 2014 at 11:16 am
I think that faith – it is a very powerful force. When people believe in something – it gives them strength! Maybe some of those 33 miners had an amulet depicting Saint Barbara!