4 December: Saint Barbara, Patron Saint of Firefighters

Witness of Christ who donated her life

Saint Barbara, a martyr rom the third century, is the Patron Saint of Firefighters. Her liturgical memorial is celebrated on 4 December. Devotion to the Saint began to spread in the seventh century, when the first Acta of her martyrdom began to appear.

We do not have much information on her. According to some traditions, she was born in the middle of the third century in the East. She was the only daughter of Dioscorus, a wealthy pagan. She is said to have been very beautiful and had received many marriage proposals from powerful men. Because Barbara refused to marry, her father locked her up in a tower to make her change her mind. During her time in the tower, she was taught by philosophers and poets and came to the conclusion that there is only one God. She converted to Christianity.

When her father fund out about her conversion, he was overtaken by hatred and tried to kill her. Barbara was able to hide, but a shepherd turned her in. She was arrested and imprisoned. She was brought before Marcian, the judge, who ordered her to retract, but she refused. The judge condemned her to terrible forms of torture, but she never reneged her faith in Christ. In the end, her father decapitated her himself and was immediately struck by lightning. The way he died explains why she is linked to lightning, and by extension to fire and explosions. She thus, became the Patron Saint of many professions associated with fire: artillerymen, bomb disposal experts, chemical engineers, miners, foundrymen and metallurgists. She is also the Patron Saint of firefighters.

Her remains are kept in several different places in the world, but most of them are in the Church of San Martino in Burano.