Saint Christopher

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Christopher (3rd century?), martyr. Nothing is known of his history except the record of his death in Asia Minor. A church was dedicated to him in Bithynia in 452 and there are 8th-century Legends in both Greek and Latin. These were augmented, especially in 12th-century Germany, until they reached the final form in the Golden Legend, which inspired innumerable artistic representations all over Europe and assured Christopher a place among the Fourteen Holy Helpers. The name Christopher (Christ-bearer) is made the basis for the Legend: ‘he bare him on his shoulders by conveying and leading, in his body by making it lean, in mind by devotion and in his mouth by confession and preaching.’ Christopher, supposedly a Canaanite, was a giant of fearsome appearance, who first decided to serve the Devil, but finding that the latter was afraid of Christ and his Cross, decided to serve Christ instead. A hermit instructed him in the Christian faith, and assigned to him as his Christian service residence near a river and helping travellers to cross it. Once a child asked Christopher to carry him across, but Christopher found him so heavy that he was bowed down with the weight. The child then told him that he was Jesus Christ and that he had carried the weight of the whole world and ‘him that created and made all the world upon thy shoulders’. He told Christopher to plant his staff in the ground: the next day it woud bear flowers and dates as a sign of the truth of the message he had received. Later he was said to have preached Christianity in the city of Lycia with enormous success, but was imprisoned when in persecution (under Decius?) he refused to sacrifice to the gods. Two women who were sent to seduce him in prison were converted instead; Christopher was beaten with rods of iron; shot with arrows, one of which injured the king in the eye, later healed by Christopher's blood; finally he was beheaded.

Many English wall-paintings of Christopher have survived. Mostly they were placed on the north wall opposite the porch so that he would be seen by all who entered the church. This was because he was not only the patron of travellers, but also was invoked against water, tempest, and plague and especially against sudden death. It was popularly believed that whoever saw an image of Christopher would not die that day. Hence in modern times he is invoked as the patron of motorists (a church in the Javel area of Paris, where Citroën cars are made, is dedicated to his patronage), and the motorists' plaques often bear the ancient inscription ‘Behold St. Christopher and go thy way in safety’. The surviving paintings vary in elaboration. In most of them he is depicted as a giant, carrying the Infant Jesus on his back. From the 14th century the picturesque element is more in evidence, with the hermit, the river, the flowering staff, boats, fishes, and the arrow wounding the king. The two temptresses and even a mermaid are also sometimes found. Examples may be seen at Shorwell (I.W.), Aldermaston (Berks.), Little Missenden (Bucks.), Impington (Cambs.), Breage and St. Keverne (Cornwall), Haddon Hall (Derbyshire), Little Baddow (Essex), and many other places. There are also notable examples in stained glass (e.g. Great Malvern Priory) and sculpture (e.g. Terrington St. Clement, Norfolk). Nine English churches have ancient dedications to him.

The cult of Christopher was severely criticized by Erasmus in his Praise of Folly; his popularity suffered both from the Reformation and the Counter-Reformation, so that from the 17th century (in contrast to earlier times) it is hard to find notable examples of images of him. But in modern times his popular cult has revived with the increase in travel by air and motorway. As travelling becomes (or is believed to become) more dangerous, so does devotion to Christopher flourish. When in 1969 the Holy See reduced his feast to the dimension of a merely local cult, there was a sharp reaction in various countries, led in Italy by popular film stars. It seems likely that this medieval legend and cult will never completely lose its popularity. Feast: 25 July.

Bibliography
Click here for a list of abbreviations used in this bibliography.

• AA.SS. Iul. VI (1729), 125–49 with Anal. Boll., i (1882), 121–48 and x (1891), 393–405
• H. Usener, Acta S. Marinae et S. Christopori (1886), 54–76
• W. Morris and F. S. Ellis (edd.), The Golden Legend (1892)
• H. C. Whaite, St. Christopher in English Medieval Wallpainting (1929)
• H. F. Rosenfeldt, Der hl. Christophorus (1937)
• C. Johnson, St. Christopher (1938)
• A. Masseron, Saint Christophe, patron des automobilistes (1933)
• A. Caiger-Smith, English Medieval Mural Paintings (1963)
• G. McN. Rushforth, Medieval Christian Imagery (1936), pp. 221–4
• Bibl. SS., iv. 349–64

All that is known historically of Christopher is that he was a martyr in Asia Minor (3rd century?); his name means ‘Christ-carrier’. According to medieval legend, he was a giant who became Christian and used to serve travellers by carrying them across a river. One day he was almost crushed by the weight of a young boy, for the boy was Jesus, who carries the weight of the world. Many English churches had wall paintings and windows depicting Christopher, usually facing the main entrance, as it was said that anyone who saw an image of him would not die that day. He was also patron of travellers, and protected people from plague and storm. Processional giants were sometimes named after him, he being a rare example of a virtuous giant; one survives, at Salisbury (Wiltshire). St Christopher medals were already known in the Middle Ages; one of Chaucer's pilgrims, the Yeoman, wears a silver one. They are very popular charms in the 20th century, especially among motorists and those travelling by air.

For other uses, see Saint Christopher (disambiguation).

Saint Christopher
St. Christopher Carrying the Christ Child, by Hieronymus Bosch (c. 1485)
Martyr
Born	Canaan (Western accounts) or Marmarica (Eastern accounts)
Died	c. 251, Asia Minor
Venerated in	Anglicanism Eastern Orthodoxy Lutheranism Oriental Orthodoxy Roman Catholicism
Beatified	70bc
Feast	25 July (West), 9 May (East)
Attributes	tree, branch, as a giant or ogre, carrying Jesus, spear, shield, as a dog-headed man
Patronage	bachelors, transportation (drivers, sailors, etc.), travelling (especially for long journeys), storms, Brunswick, Saint Christopher's Island (Saint Kitts), Island Rab, epilepsy, gardeners, holy death, toothache

Saint Christopher (Greek: Άγιος Χριστόφορος) is a saint venerated by Roman Catholics and Orthodox Christians, listed as a martyr killed in the reign of the 3rd century Roman emperor Decius (reigned 249–251).

The Eastern Orthodox Church venerates Saint Christopher on May 9th. The Tridentine Calendar allowed a commemoration of Saint Christopher on 25 July only in private Masses. This restriction was lifted later (see General Roman Calendar as in 1954). While the Roman Catholic Church still approves devotion to him, listing him in the Roman Martyrology among the saints venerated on 25 July,^[1] it removed his feast day from the Roman Catholic calendar of saints in 1969. At that time the church declared that this commemoration was not of Roman tradition, in view of the relatively late date (about 1550) and limited manner in which it was accepted into the Roman calendar.^[2]

Saint Christopher is sometimes represented with the head of a dog.

The Catholic Church suggests that almost nothing historical is known about the life and death of St. Christopher,^[3] however several legends are attributed to him. The most popular variations originate from The Golden Legend, a thirteenth-century compilation of stories.

Contents 1 Veneration and patronage 1.1 Eastern Orthodox Liturgy 1.2 Relics and Medals 1.3 General patronage 1.4 Patronage of places 2 References in popular culture 3 Notes 4 External links

Veneration and patronage

Eastern Orthodox Liturgy

The Eastern Orthodox Church venerates Christopher of Lycea with a Feast Day on May 9. The liturgical reading and hymns refer to his imprisonment by Decius who tempts Christopher with harlots before ordering his beheading.^[4] The Kontakion in the Fourth Tone (hymn) reads:

"Thou who wast terrifying both in strength and in countenance, for thy Creator's sake thou didst surrender thyself willingly to them that sought thee; for thou didst persuade both them and the women that sought to arouse in thee the fire of lust, and they followed thee in the path of martyrdom. And in torments thou didst prove to be courageous. Wherefore, we have gained thee as our great protector, O great Christopher."^[5]

An image of Saint Christopher, such as is worn or is placed in a vehicle, for protection on journeys

Relics and Medals

After having been held in Constantinople, the relics and the head of the saint were moved to the island of Rab in Croatia. When Normans tried to invade the islands and besieged the city, its inhabitants placed the saint's relics on the city walls. Miraculously, the winds changed and the bows and ships were blown away from the city. One of the city's largest medieval squares is named after the saint.^{[citation needed]}

Christopher is one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers, and the patron saint of travelers. Medallions with his name and image are worn to show devotion to a certain saint and ask for that saint's prayers. They are frequently displayed in automobiles. In French a widespread phrase for such medals is "Regarde St Christophe et va-t-en rassuré" ("Look at St Christopher and go on reassured"); Saint Christopher medals and holy cards in Spanish have the phrase "Si en San Cristóbal confías, de accidente no morirás" ("If you trust St. Christopher, you won't die in an accident"). In Austria an annual collection for providing vehicles for the use of missionaries is taken up on a Sunday close to the feast of Saint Christopher, asking people to contribute a very small sum of money for every kilometre that they have traveled safely during the year.^{[citation needed]}

General patronage

Christopher has always been a widely popular saint, being especially revered by athletes, mariners, ferrymen, and travelers.^[6] He is revered as one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers. He holds patronage of things related to travel and travelers: against lightning; against pestilence; archers; bachelors; boatmen; bookbinders; epilepsy; floods; fruit dealers; fullers; gardeners; for a holy death; mariners; market carriers; motorists and drivers; sailors; storms; surfers^[7]; toothache; and transportation workers.

Patronage of places

Christopher is the patron saint of the many places, including: Baden, Germany^[6]; Barga, Italy; Brunswick, Germany^[6]; Mecklenburg, Germany^[6]; Rab, Croatia; Roermond, The Netherlands; Saint Christopher's Island (Saint Kitts); Toses in Catalonia, Spain; Mondim de Basto, Portugal; Agrinion, Greece; Vilnius, Lithuania; Havana, Cuba; and Paete, Laguna, Philippines.go phillipines

References in popular culture

See Saint Christopher in popular culture

Notes

This article includes a list of references or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it has insufficient inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations where appropriate. (November 2009)

1. ^ Martyrologium Romanum (Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2001 ISBN 88-209-7210-7)
2. ^ Calendarium Romanum (Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1969), p. 131
3. ^ "FAQ's - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online". http://www.catholic.org/saints/faq.php#St.%20Christopher. Retrieved 2008-07-13. 
4. ^ "Christopher the Martyr of Lycea", Saints, Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, 2009
5. ^ Holy Transfiguration Monastery, (translation), "Kontakion in the Fourth Tone", Saints, Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, 2009
6. ^ ^{a b c d} Mershman, F. (1908). St. Christopher. In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Retrieved September 16, 2008
7. ^ Dioces of Orange hosts First Annual Blessing of the Waves in Surf City Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange, September 15, 2008

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Saint Christopher

• Saint Christopher Website with information and references about St. Christopher.
• "The Life of Saint Christopher", The Golden Legend or Lives of the Saints, Temple Classics, 1931 (Compiled by Jacobus de Voragine, Translated by William Caxton) at the Fordham University Medieval Sourcebook

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