Sent to study with Saint Benedict at the age of seven, Placid was saved from drowning in a freezing river when his plight appeared to Benedict in a vision. His father was so grateful at Benedict’s intercession that he donated the land for the great Monte Cassino monastery to the Benedictine Order.
Invoked: against drowning
A disciple of Saint Benedict, Maurus was praying with his mentor when Benedict had a vision of a fellow monk, Placid, falling into the freezing river and being carried away by the current. He ordered Maurus to rescue him. Maurus ran across the surface of the water and brought Placid to safety. He later crossed the Alps on foot and founded his own monastery.
Other patronages: charcoal burners, coppersmiths
Invoked: against chills
A Dutch mercenary who led a wild life as a soldier and highwayman, Gerlac was devastated by news of his wife’s death. He converted to Christianity and spent the rest of his life doing penance. After caring for the sick in Jerusalem for seven years, he went back to his native Netherlands and returned to nature, living in a hollowed-out tree and communing with the denizens of the forest.
This young mystic saved the city of Paris from starvation after an invasion by the Franks. She was so respected by the conquering forces that she converted the king. She later repelled an invasion by Attila the Hun with the power of her prayer. When an unstoppable plague of fever killed many in the city in 1129, a parade of her relics through the streets was credited with ending it.
Other patronages: Paris; the Women’s Army Corps; chandlers, shepherds, shepherdesses
Invoked: against plague, leprosy; for an end to excessive rain, the healing of kings
The above Patron Saints are excerpted from the book: “Patron Saints: A Feast of Holy Cards” by Barbara Calamari and Sandra DiPasqua. All images are from the collection of Father Eugene Carrella.
A witness to the Transfiguration as well as the author of one of the Gospels and the Apocalypse, John is considered to have had great mystical powers. In a.d. 95, the Romans attempted to martyr him by throwing him into a vat of boiling oil. He survived this and was exiled to the island of Patmos for practicing magic.
Other patronages: Asia Minor, Turkey; alchemists, artists, bookbinders, booksellers, chandlers, copyists, engravers, fullers, gunsmiths, millers, oil producers, papermakers, printers, theologians, typographers, writers; virgins, widows
Invoked: against food poisoning
One of the seventy-two disciples present at the Pentecost, Stephen was said to be a strong speaker trusted by the original apostles. He was convicted of blasphemy and stoned to death, becoming the first martyr for the faith. He is the patron of anyone who works with stones or who has illnesses relating to stones.
Other patronages: casket makers, coachmen, grooms, stonemasons; horses
Invoked: against headaches, kidney stones, ringworm
Brandade de Morue, salt cod whipped with garlic and the excellent, golden Provencal olive oil is one of my favorite Gros souper dishes. It has a creamy texture and is surprisingly gently flavored since the cod is long soaked to remove most of the salt. It’s often served gratin style, baked in the oven with a breadcrumb topping, then scattered with the tiny, sweet black olives that are famous in the region.
(Serves 5 or 6 as an antipasto)
1 ½ pounds salt cod (try to find the thicker middle section, which has less bones to deal with)
1 fresh bay leaf
½ cup dry white wine
1 baking potato, cooked soft, peeled and roughly mashed
1 large garlic clove, minced
Extra virgin olive oil
The grated zest from 1 small lemon
A few big gratings of nutmeg
5 or 6 thyme sprigs, leaves lightly chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
A few tablespoons of milk
¾ cup home-made, not too finely ground breadcrumbs
A handful of black olives
Toasted bread made from slices of baguette, brushed with a little olive oil
You’ll need to soak the salt cod in a big pot of cold water for about a day and a half, changing the water a bunch of times (and putting the pot in the refrigerator overnight). After this, taste a bit to see if a sufficient amount of salt has leeched out of it. If not, soak it a little longer. Now drain it.
In a large skillet, place the salt cod (cut into pieces if necessary). Add the bay leaf and pour on the white wine. Add enough cool water to just cover the cod. Bring to a boil and then turn the heat down to very low. Cover the skillet and gently simmer the cod until it just begins to flake. This should only take about 15 minutes, maybe even less if you’ve got thin cuts. If it cooks any longer, it might become dry. Take the cod from the skillet and when it’s cool enough to handle, pull off the bones and the skin.
Put the cod in a food processor and give it a couple of pulses. Add the potato, the garlic, about ¼ cup of your best olive oil, the lemon zest, thyme, nutmeg, and some black pepper. Give it a few more pulses. You want a texture that’s creamy but not completely smooth. Add about 2 tablespoons of milk and pulse again. You shouldn’t need any salt.
Scrape the brandade from the food processor and spoon it into a shallow baking dish. Top with the breadcrumbs and drizzle the top with olive oil.
When you’re ready to serve it, preheat the oven to 425 degrees and heat it through, about 10 minutes. If the breadcrumbs don’t turn golden, run it under a broiler for a minute. Scatter on the olives and serve it with the toasts.
Dining With the Saints is written by Chef and Food Writer Erica DeMane. Visit her at her website : http://www.ericademane.com
Painting: “Nativity” by Robert Campin 1420-1425
Clarity and light are the primary attributes of Saint Lucy. Often her name is invoked as a protection against temptation, since she is thought to enhance judgment and aid in discernment. The name Lucy means “light” and light is the nature of grace. Just as light shines in a direct, straight line, Saint Lucy’s belief in God never wavered. Light is also immaculate, no matter how filthy the place it shines in. Her affiliation with light also extends to vision. Thus, Saint Lucy is the patron saint of the blind: we also call on her to help those with eye troubles.
Born in Siracusa, Sicily, into a noble family, Saint Lucy was secretly a Christian, having been impressed early on by the stories of Saint Agatha’s martyrdom in nearby Catania. Lucy’s mother suffered from long-term health problems, and Lucy took her to Saint Agatha’s tomb to be healed. When her mother’s health was instantly restored, she also became a Christian. Although her family had arranged for her to marry, Lucy begged to be allowed to break the engagement, as she had promised her virginity to the Lord. She wanted her dowry to be distributed to the poor and to live a life devoted to prayer and chastity. This enraged Lucy’s betrothed, and he denounced her to the local authorities as a Christian and an enemy of the emperor. This being the time of the persecutions of Diocletian, the punishment for Christian beliefs was torture, then death. Lucy refused to sacrifice to the Roman idols when commanded by the local officials, saying, “The sacrifice that is pleasing to God is to visit the poor and help them in their need.” Paschasius, the Roman consul, ordered her to be put in a house of prostitution. When the soldiers came to carry Lucy away, they could not move her. A thousand soldiers and a thousand oxen were brought in and still she could not be budged. Magicians and wizards chanting incantations had no effect. Paschasius, at wits’ end, ordered a fire to be built around Lucy and boiling oil to be poured on her head. Still unfazed, Lucy said, “Ihave prayed for this prolongation of my martyrdom in order to free believers from the fear of suffering and to give unbelievers time to insult me.” At this point, a friend of the consul’s plunged a dagger into her throat and ended her earthly life. A church was raised at the site of her death a few years later. Saint Lucy is one of the oldest and most adored saints in the world.
There are two different stories as to why Saint Lucy is always shown holding her eyes on a dish. One is that they were torn from her head under torture and were then miraculously restored. The other is that a persistent suitor asked for her hand in marriage, citing her beautiful eyes as the reason she won his heart. Lucy, intent on keeping her virginity, ripped out her own eyes and sent them to him. Here again they were miraculously restored the next day. Saint Lucy is also always depicted with the palms of martyrdom. Her remains are partially uncorrupt and were moved to a church in Venice. Because she died from having her throat cut, she is also invoked for throat ailments and hemorrhages.
Feast Day: December 13
Patron of: Blindness
Invoked for: Clarity
Invoked against: Eye Troubles, Throat Ailments, Hemorrhages
By your steadfast faith, O glorious Saint Lucy, you firmly declared to the ruler that no one could take from you the Holy Spirit, who dwelt in your heart as in his temple. Obtain for me from God that I may always live in a holy and salutary fear of losing his grace and that I may flee everything that might cause so grievous a loss.
(Recite one Our Father, one Hail Mary, one Glory Be.)
By the great love which your immaculate spouse had for you, O glorious Saint Lucy, when by an unheard of miracle he rendered you immovable in spite of the attempts of your enemies to drag you into a place of shame and sin, I ask you to obtain for me the grace never to consent to the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil, and to fight constantly against their assaults by the continuous mortification of all my senses.
(Recite one Our Father, one Hail Mary, one Glory Be.)
By the same ardent love you had for Jesus, O glorious Saint Lucy, after consecrating yourself to him by an irrevocable vow, you refused profitable offers of marriage. After distributing all your goods to aid the poor, you sacrificed your life by the blade that pierced your neck. Obtain for me the grace to be filled with holy charity, that I may be ready to renounce worldly goods and endure all evil rather than become, even in the least degree, unfaithful to Jesus.
(Recite one Our Father, one Hail Mary, one Glory Be.)
The purpose of this novena is to ward off temptation and to maintain clarity in confusing situations.
Say this novena nine times in a row for nine days in a row.
Excerpted from the book: “Novena: The Power of Prayer” by Barbara Calamari and Sandra DiPasqua.
Artwork: detail of altar piece by Francesco del Cossa (1473-1474)
Saint Barbara was a beautiful young girl brutally murdered by her father. Because she was avenged by God, she is invoked at times of injustice, when a fiery response is warranted or protection against violence is needed. Just as the heavenly retribution against her father was simple and direct, so is this novena to Saint Barbara. Though some doubt that she ever existed, Saint Barbara is one of the greatest saints of the Eastern Orthodox Catholic Church, and her statue guards countless homes and businesses. She is the saint who in spirit is most like Michael the Archangel, assuring us of universal protection and justice.
Born in the city of Nicomedia, near the Persian border, her parents were wealthy and influential people who doted on their only child. It was, however, a time of considerable social upheaval. To protect his daughter from the rabble around them, Dioscurus, her father, committed her to live in a tower. From there she observed the world, entertained her friends, and was tutored by great teachers. She had much time for contemplation, and ultimately she concluded that worshipping a pantheon of gods was absurd and developed an interest in the Christian religion. While her father was away, she sent to Alexandria for the famous teacher Origen to give her further religious instruction. From him she learned about the Holy Trinity, and she was converted to Christianity. Meanwhile, her father was constructing a new bathhouse on the grounds near the tower as a present to Barbara. While visiting the site Barbara ordered the workmen to build a third window, thereby creating a symbolic trinity. She also removed any pagan statues and images in the structure, replacing them with a simple cross in the wall. When her father returned from his trip, he demanded to know who had changed the bathhouse design. Barbara admitted that she had had the offending third window installed, and declared, “Grace comes to us through three channels, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.” Dioscurus, infuriated to discover that his daughter was now a Christian, had her dragged off to the authorities and denounced her. Saint Barbara was then tortured for refusing to sacrifice to the pagan gods. Her own father asked to be her executioner and took out his sword and beheaded her. As he was leaving the site of her death, Dioscurus was struck by lightning and reduced to ashes. This is why Saint Barbara is invoked in the time of lightning storms, artillery bombardments, and explosions.
Saint Barbara is also invoked against sudden death and is said to bring holy communion to the faithful at the time of death. Because of her work on the bathhouse, and her affiliation with the tower in which she lived, she is also the patroness of architects. In art she is shown with her tower, holding the palms of martyrdom and the sword that beheaded her. There is a church in Cairo Egypt, that houses her remains and is named after her. Saint Barbara was a very popular saint in France during the Middle Ages. Besides being greatly honored in Greece and Egypt, she has enjoyed a great resurgence in popularity in the Caribbean and in South America.
Feast Day: December 4
Patron of: Artillerymen, Architects
Invoked against: Lightning strikes, Sudden Death
Say this novena nine times in a row for nine days in a row.
(Excerpted from the book, “Novena: The Power of Prayer” by Barbara Calamari and Sandra DiPaqua).
St. Andrew is the patron Saint of Scotland. His feast day on November 30th is celebrated with a huge festival, not only in Scotland, but also by Scots who live abroad. There is, for instance, a St. Andrew’s Society in Boston that was set up in 1657 and it’s still very active in organizing his feast day activities.
It was the custom for farm workers and laborers in Scotland to go ‘St. Andra’ing’, where they would go out and shoot rabbits, spend all day cleaning and preparing them, and then have a huge meal of roast rabbit and Scotch whisky. Eating a singed sheep’s head also used to be traditional. Today the occasion is more likely celebrated with an assortment of famous Scottish dishes such as Scotch broth, salted herring, beef in whisky sauce, finnan hadie, haggis, Dundee cake, Crannachan, a kind of sweet dumpling, Angus Toffee and, of course, lots of whisky.
One of my favorite Scottish dishes and something that’s always present at any St. Andrew day feast is Scotch Eggs, hard cooked eggs that have been encased in herbed sausage and deep-fried. They’re very easy to make and are delicious. Great with Scotch whisky or beer.
(Serves four)
A mild vegetable oil for deep-frying
1 ¼ pounds country style sausage, removed from it’s casing (or buy bulk sausage)
6 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
8 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves chopped
Salt
A generous pinch of cayenne pepper
4 large, hard-boiled eggs
About ½ cup off all-purpose flour
2 raw eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup home-made, dry breadcrumbs
Over high heat about 4 inches of oil in a large pot.
In a large bowl combine the sausage, sage, thyme, a little salt, and the cayenne. Divide the mixture into four parts and flatten each portion out into a thin round. Wrap a sausage round around each hard-boiled egg, sealing it well with your fingers.
When the oil reaches approximately 360 degrees, it’s hot enough for frying.
Dredge the sausage covered eggs in flour, then dip them in the raw egg, letting the excess drip off, and then coat them in the breadcrumbs.
Fry the eggs, turning them gently a few times, until they’re golden all over, about 5 minutes. Lift them from the oil with a slotted spoon and let them drain on paper towels. Serve hot or warm.
Painting: “Saint Andrew and Saint Francis” by El Greco
Dining with the Saints is a monthly column written by chef and author Erica DeMane. Erica DeMane.com
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