Saint Christopher

Saint Christopher (lived 3rd century?), patron saint of travelers, perhaps martyred in the persecutions of Decius. The only firm evidence for the existence of Saint Christopher is the antiquity of his cult, which dates from as early as the 5th century. According to Eastern legend, he was a converted pagan warrior named Reprobus, who died by cruel torture rather than deny his faith. Western medieval legend represents him as a giant who, after his conversion to Christianity, devoted his life to charity by carrying travelers on his shoulders across a river. One day a child asked to be carried but, with each step across the river, the child grew heavier. When Christopher—whose name in Greek means “he who bears Christ”—complained of the weight, he was told that he was bearing the weight of the world upon his back in the person of Christ. In art, he is usually depicted carrying the Christ child on his back. His feast day, July 25, is no longer listed on the Roman calendar, but it may still be observed locally.