Saint Florian - May 4

Saint Florian of Lorch
Memorial
4 May
Profile
Third century officer in Roman army stationed in modern Austria. Military administrator of the town of Noricum, and a closet Christian. Said to have stopped a town from burning by praying and throwing a single bucket of water on the blaze, and thus his association with firefighters and those who protect us from fire, including chimney sweeps. When ordered to execute a group of Christians during the persecutions of Diocletian, he refused, and professed his own faith. Martyr.
Died
scourged, flayed alive, a stone tied to his neck, and dumped into a river c.304
body later retrieved by Christians and buried at an Augustinian monastery near Lorch
relics translated to Rome in 1138
part of the relics given to King Casimir of Poland and the bishop of Cracow by Pope Lucius III, which led to Florian’s patronage of Poland and Upper Austria
Canonized
Pre-Congregation
Patronage
against battle
against drowning
against fire
against flood
drowning victims
harvests
–
barrel-makers
brewers
chimney sweeps
coopers
fire prevention
firefighters
soap-boilers
Worshipful Company of Firefighters

Austria
Poland

Linz, Austria
Representation
bearded warrior with a lance and tub
boy with a millstone
classical warrior leaning on a millstone, pouring water on a fire
dead man on a millstone guarded by an eagle
dead man whose body is being protected by an eagle
man being beaten
man on a journey with a hat and staff
man thrown into a river with a millstone around his neck
man with a palm in his hand and a burning torch under his feet
man with a sword
young man, sometimes in armor, sometimes unarmed, pouring water from a tub on a burning church
catholicsaints.info/saint-florian-of-lorch/