Portal:Catholic Church/Patron Archive/June 2 2007

Saint Erasmus of Formiae is a Christian saint and martyr who died ca. 303, also known as Saint Elmo. He is venerated as the patron saint of sailors. Erasmus or Elmo is also one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers, saintly figures of Christian legend who were venerated especially in Central Europe as intercessors.

According to his legend, when the persecutions of Diocletian began, Erasmus was called before a judge, beaten around the head, spat upon and "besprinkled [...] with foulness". He was then beaten with leaden mauls until his veins broke and burst. Erasmus suffered all of these punishments with tremendous willingness. Erasmus was then thrown into a pit of snakes and worms, and boiling oil and sulfur were poured on him but "he lay therein as he had lain in cold water, thanking and loving God". Then thunder and lightning came and electrocuted everyone around save Erasmus. Thus the saint was protected from the lightning. Diocletian had him thrown in another pit, but an angel came and slew all the vipers and worms.

Then came the Western Roman Emperor Maximian who, according to Voragine, "[...] was much worse than was Diocletian". Erasmus would not cease preaching the Gospel, even though he was "put into a pan seething with rosin, pitch, brimstone lead, and oil, [which were] pour[ed] [...] into his mouth, [from] [...] which he never shrinked". A searing hot cloak and metal coat were both tried on him, to no effect, and an angel eventually carried him away to safety.

When he was recaptured, he was brought before the emperor and beaten and whipped, then coated with pitch and set alight (as Christians had been in Nero's games), and still he survived.

He was recaptured and tortured some more in the Roman province of Illyricum, after boldly preaching and converting numerous pagans to Christianity. Finally, according to the legend, his stomach was slit open and his intestines wound around a windlass.

Attributes: windlass

Patronage: sailors, Gaeta, Formia, colic in children, intestinal ailments and diseases, cramps and the pain of women in labor, cattle pest

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