Ever hear of the Fourteen Holy Helpers?

Bonnie

Bonnie

Super Member
I just happened to see this under my Yahoo account. It is from MSN, so I don't know how accurate it is. But in order to read about this, click the arrow on the right side, in the picture, then read the caption underneath:

MSN

www.msn.com

The article notes that half of the saints in this group probably never existed.

So, how many have heard of this group? I know the RCC no longer has a feast day dedicated to this group, but it still has feast days dedicated to other saints.

St. Blaise is mentioned: he is the "patron saint of sore throats", something we discussed here on the last boards. How utterly...ridiculous can it get? Patron saint one invokes for a sore throat??? What's next--a patron saint for ingrown toenails?
 
I knew the RCC had numerous saints who specialized in various diseases, but I was unaware of this saintly group practice.

Makes sense I guess, certainly makes it easier for the devout Catholic who has fallen ill and is praying for recovery. If they don't know what is wrong with them, or they have multiple ailments, the 14 holy helpers would be a one-stop shrine to pray at.
 
Bonnie said:
St. Blaise is mentioned: he is the "patron saint of sore throats", something we discussed here on the last boards. How utterly...ridiculous can it get? Patron saint one invokes for a sore throat??? What's next--a patron saint for ingrown toenails?
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? Isn't English "wunnerful"? I sometimes tease my wife when she says she's going to take something for a headache: "Why? Why don't you take something against the headache?" (Followed by ducking and running from various metaphorical pots and pans coming my way.) ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

--Rich
 
Oh
RiJoRi said:
? Isn't English "wunnerful"? I sometimes tease my wife when she says she's going to take something for a headache: "Why? Why don't you take something against the headache?" (Followed by ducking and running from various metaphorical pots and pans coming my way.) ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

--Rich
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So, I used "for" instead of "of." So, metaphorical pots and pans ARE being tossed your way, lol! :p

But being a patron saint OF something means one can pray TO this saint FOR the thing he/she is patron saint OF, to take away the affliction they are the patron saint OF.

This whole patron saint thing is stupid, anyway...honestly, why isn't Jesus good enough for Catholics to to pray to for help and healing? WHY?
 
Bonnie said:
I just happened to see this under my Yahoo account. It is from MSN, so I don't know how accurate it is. But in order to read about this, click the arrow on the right side, in the picture, then read the caption underneath:

MSN

www.msn.com

The article notes that half of the saints in this group probably never existed.

So, how many have heard of this group? I know the RCC no longer has a feast day dedicated to this group, but it still has feast days dedicated to other saints.

St. Blaise is mentioned: he is the "patron saint of sore throats", something we discussed here on the last boards. How utterly...ridiculous can it get? Patron saint one invokes for a sore throat??? What's next--a patron saint for ingrown toenails?
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I had not heard of them as a group. Wiki has:


en.wikipedia.org

Fourteen Holy Helpers - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org
 
RiJoRi said:
? Isn't English "wunnerful"? I sometimes tease my wife when she says she's going to take something for a headache: "Why? Why don't you take something against the headache?" (Followed by ducking and running from various metaphorical pots and pans coming my way.) ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

--Rich
Click to expand...
My husband often laugh as we travel about the funny ways English is used or misused. I always laughed at a sign on a property, obviously a city farmer.

Cows for sale
bulls for sale
male cows for sale.
 
From catholicism. org:

During the chastizing period of the Black Death that devastated Europe from 1346-1349 there were many saints that the faithful invoked against the plague and sudden death. Among these were those who a century later would be known as the Fourteen Holy Helpers. (A brief history of the devotion of the Holy Helpers, and the vision that initiated that devotion, is wonderfully related in a little book, The Fourteen Holy Helpers, by Fr. Bonaventure Hammer, O.F.M. A good deal of the material that follows is taken from this book.)

Saints listed who now have doubt placed on them being real are:

St George and St Christopher not sure about the rest. Most I haven't heard of there are just so many RC saints.
 
Bonnie said:
This whole patron saint thing is stupid, anyway...honestly, why isn't Jesus good enough for Catholics to to pray to for help and healing? WHY?
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1) Possibly the RCC believes their Jesus is too high and holy to be bothered by mundane matters?

2) Maybe because the RCC concept of a "heavenly hierarchy" reflects the RCC hierarchy in this world. As a lay-person would not think of going to the Vatican to confess to the pope (there's a whole line of subordinates – priests, bishops, etc. – to deal with such a thing), the lay-person would not think of going to Jesus to make a request of Him (there's a whole line of subordinates – saints, angels, etc. – to deal with such a thing).

3) As in any worldly imperium, if you want to see The Great One, it helps if you know his buddies.

Guesses × speculation.

--Rich
 
balshan said:
My husband often laugh as we travel about the funny ways English is used or misused. I always laughed at a sign on a property, obviously a city farmer.

Cows for sale
bulls for sale
male cows for sale.
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In the South, especially in the mountains, one can see signs advertising "cackleberries" for sale, meaning eggs. :)

Chickens! The pet that poops breakfast...yay!
 
Bonnie said:
"Cows" has come to mean all domestic cattle of either gender. There is no common name in English for a single cattle animal, though "bovine" comes close.
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it is bovine in the singular, and cattle in the plural. Cow for females, and bull for an intact male.
 
Bonnie said:
"Cows" has come to mean all domestic cattle of either gender. There is no common name in English for a single cattle animal, though "bovine" comes close.
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I was laughing at the fact that the used both the words bull and male cows. Cattle is general terms for he species. IMO. They could use heifer, steer, sire, dam, the list is long. It seemed that the writer did not see bulls as male. But females are cows that have had a calf, as well as the more general term.
 
Bonnie said:
That is true, so I wish people would use these terms correctly. But in the grand scheme of things, this is pretty minor.
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Oh my goodness this got out of hand. Just saying it was a sign that made me laugh. I will not say about people missing the point. Thanks break time.
 
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