After the 8 a.m. Mass on Wednesday, February 2 at St. Boniface, we will celebrate our devotion to Saint Blaise with the Blessing of Throats.

Saint Blaise’s Story:

The Feast of St. Blaise is celebrated on February 3. According to tradition, Blaise was of noble birth, became a physician, was educated in the Catholic faith and eventually became bishop of Sebastia, a city in Turkey. Blaise was martyred in 316 AD for the crime of being a Christian. 

We know more about the devotion to Saint Blaise than we know about the saint himself. He was know to be a very holy priest. Legend has it that a mother came to Blaise with her young son, who had a fish bone lodged in his throat. Through Blaise’s prayers, the child was able to cough up the bone. Thereafter, St. Blaise became the patron for the cure of throat illnesses. Many Catholics have long sought the annual Saint Blaise blessing of their throats.