ST BLAISE, PATRON SAINT OF DUBROVNIK...

St Blaise: Sveti Vlaho…

The healer, a physician,

Beaten with a stick,

Raked to the bone by metal combs

Then beheaded, despite his apparent skills

And thus the Bishop was martyred as St Blaise…

The Canon, a vision,

Warned by this Saint;

Threatened off the coast by Venetian galleys

Near Lokrum, despite their apparent goodwill, 

But Dubrovnik was forearmed by St Blaise…

The healer, a physician,

Forgotten, was a saviour:

Protected Ragusa from the maritime invader,

Then revered, despite a mere, apparent dream

As Sveti Vlaho, the city’s Patron: St Blaise…

Pete Ray

May 2016

Stojko, the Canon of St Stephen’s Cathedral in Dubrovnik, once known as Ragusa, had a vision in 971AD, seeing St Blaise, who warned him that the anchored Venetian galleys off the island of Lokrum were planning an invasion.

The city was thus saved. 

ST BLAISE (SVETI VLAHO) FACES LOKRUM FROM DUBROVNIK'S CITY WALLS...

ST BLAISE'S CHURCH, DUBROVNIK...

ST BLAISE: IS HE DOING A BIT OF TILING?

St Blaise, a Bishop of Sebastea, in what is now Sivas in Turkey, was highly thought of as a healer of both people and beasts, a physician of ‘souls’ also.

 He was lauded for his ability to remove objects from the throat and eventually retired to a cave to pray.

He was arrested in 316AD by the Romans because he was a Christian and it is said that on his way to prison, he saved a boy who was dying from a bone trapped in his throat but although the Roman governor was amazed by this, St Blaise was eventually still beaten with a stick, raked by iron combs to the bone and beheaded.

It is said that he also prised a woman’s pig from the clutches of a wolf, unharmed and she took two fine candles to the prison to light the Bishop’s cell.

St Blaise is often depicted holding two crossed candles, or is seen with wild animals, or even steel combs and is the patron saint of wool combers and the sheep trade.

THE ALTAR...

BRILLIANT FIGURE...

His Saint Day is February 3rd…   

THE BODGING MEETS ST BLAISE...

ST BLAISE WAS BEATEN WITH A STICK...

...RAKED BY COMBS...

...AND BEHEADED...

THE PART OF ST BLAISE WAS PLAYED BY THE BODGING IN THIS RATHER UNUSUAL RE-ENACTMENT OF THE SAINT'S DEMISE...