October, 2008

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Catholic Patron Saint Christopher

Saturday, October 11th, 2008

Saint Christopher is known as the patron saint of travelers, fruit dealers, epileptics and surfers.

All that is really known of Christopher is that he died a martyr during the reign of Decius in the third century and is one of the so-called ‘Fourteen Holy Helpers’. The church’s “universal calendar” designates certain saints to be honored on certain days (feasts) by Catholics around the world. Along with many other saints, the Vatican officially removed Christopher off the universal calendar in 1969 after being determined to have a basis mostly in legend. Many churches still celebrate St Christopher’s feast day on July 25th.

Very little is known about Christopher’s life, but many legends have developed around his name. One of the most popular legends describes him being 12 to 18 feet tall who made a living carrying people across a river. One day a child was his passenger who grew unbelievably heavy as they crossed the river and he feared they would both drown. The child then revealed that he was Christ carrying the weight of the whole world. The name “Christopher” means “Christ-bearer”, and it is no surprise that he is often depicted as carrying a child, while Christopher leans on his staff.

Legend had it that anyone who saw an image of Christopher would not die that day. Surfers in the sixties wore this medal as a good luck piece like the one pictured here to protect them while surfing. Even today, St. Christopher continues to have a larger than life presence in the lives of many Catholics through the popularity of the Christopher medals in cars, bearing the inscription “Behold St. Christopher, and go thy way in safety”.

Looking for a medal? Shown below are the currently available medals and medallions. Don’t wait too long because most all of this are rare and one-of-kind.