Saints With Weird Backstories
Happy All Saint’s Day! Today we ask for the intercession of not only common saints, but also patron saints of uncommon things. Each saint has a unique story, and some events in saint's lives are unheard of. Here are some of the weirdest saints most people have not heard of.
St. Julian the Hospitaller- Patron saint of murderers
According to an article, “The Top 10 Most Unusual Patron Saints,” a child in the fourth century, St. Julian was cursed by pagan witches to kill his parents. When he was 10, he ran away from home in an attempt to avoid the curse and later married. His parents searched for him and found his wife who offered them food and refuge. At the time he was hunting and got a feeling his wife was being unfaithful. He raced home and seeing two figures in bed, murdered them both before realizing they were his parents.
As penance, Julian and his wife spent the rest of their lives traveling to Rome starting hospitals to aid travelers and the sick. St. Julian was canonized after his death as the patron saint of murderers, hospitality, ferrymen, hunters and travelers.
St. Denis- Was said to have preached with his detached head after execution
As a Third Century bishop in France, St. Denis converted pagans with the help of two missionary bishops. When pagan leaders heard of the bishop’s evangelization, they alerted Roman authorities who captured the men. St. Denis was later sentenced to death by beheading. His death took place on Montamare Hill. Witnesses claim after the execution, the saint picked up his head and walked a few miles while preaching a sermon. According to witnesses, he later dropped dead at the site that became the modern-day Basilica of St. Denis. Often depicted carrying his severed head, St. Denis became the patron saint of headaches. (Information from www.thecollector.com - Catholicism: The Top 10 Most Unusual Patron Saints)
St. Drogo- Patron saint of unattractive people
Orphaned as a teen, St. Drogo spent the start of his life facing penance for the guilt he had after the death of his mother. During his life he developed an extreme physical ailment affecting his leg and was seen as “physically repulsive” to others. Shunned by society, he became a hermit living off barley, water and the Holy Eucharist. Not much is known about his time in isolation, other than he spent most of his life in deep prayer. After death, he was canonized as the patron saint of unattractive people, coffee, insanity and various physical ailments. (Information from www.catholic.org - St. Drogo)
St. Barbara- Patron saint of fireworks, artillerymen and armories
Born to a rich pagan man named Dioscorus, St. Barbara was heavily protected and locked in a tower by her father from birth. She was known for being extremely beautiful but was hidden from the world as her father only let her pagan teachers see her. While spending time in the tower, Barbara became enthralled with the beauty of nature she could see from her window and discovered the gods her father worshiped were untrue.
Unbeknownst to her father she secretly declared herself Christian and vowed to live a life of consecrated virginity. As she aged, Dioscorus brought suitors to her tower, but she refused to marry and further damaged her relationship with her father. Trying to push her to find someone to marry, her father set her free. St. Barbara took the opportunity to meet Christians and get baptized secretly.
Barbara eventually told her father she had become Christian and would no longer worship the idols he did, which threw Dioscorus into a rage. Picking up his sword, he chased her. As she escaped, a hill opened up to conceal her and blocked her father. Barbara was eventually caught due to a shepherd telling her father where she was and handed over to the protector of the city, Marianus. She was beaten, starved and led through the streets naked but it is said angels blocked each attack, protecting her. Eventually, her father sentenced her to death by beheading. Shortly after, both her father and Marianus were struck by lightning. Because of her father’s fate, St. Barbara was named the patron saint of fireworks, artillerymen, and armories. (According to catholic.org - St. Barbara)
Along with these saints, many others share amazing and heroic backstories. Looking into saint stories is one way to find various inspiring and extraordinary saints.