Feast Day July 25
All accounts of St. Christopher are legendary but it is generally accepted that Christopher was a native of Palestine. he was a very large man who sought to serve only the strongest and the bravest. One day he carried a child across a raging stream. The child’s weight became so heavy that Christopher though he was carrying the whole world on his soldiers. “More than the world,” said the Child, “for you carry Him who created heaven and earth.” the Child changed his name from Adokimus to Christopher, which means “Christbearer”. The Child told St. Christopher to plant his staff in the ground and the next day is would grow into a palm tree. It is believed that he was martyred during the persecution of Decius about the year 254.
St. Christopher is the patron of seamen, travelers, and especially motorists. His aid is also invoked to protect against fire and flood and to preserve us from sudden death. He is pictured as a giant man crossing a river with a tree trunk as his staff and carrying the Infant Jesus on his shoulders.
