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St. Blaise of Sebaste
III/IV Centuries
Little is reliably known about St. Blaise, whose help is sought by people
suffering from throat ailments. Legends say he was born into a noble
family and educated as a Christian. While young, he became bishop of
Sebaste and was persecuted by the Roman government. Like Cyprian of
Carthage, Blaise initially hid. While he lived in a cave, legends say,
animals fed him, and he cured them and cared for them as he would a human
flock. He is also reported to have saved a the life of a boy who was
choking on a fishbone. Hunters discovered Blaise, who endured torture and
imprisonment before being beheaded c. 316 at the order of Agricolaus,
prefect of Armenia under Emperor Licinius. Although Blaise's cult may have
existed as early as the IV Century, no written record of it exists before
the VIII Century.
Karen Rae Keck
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