Saint Florian
Saint Florian (
Latin:
Florianus) is a
Christian saint, and the
patron saint of
Poland,
Linz, Austria, and firefighters. His
feast day is
May 4. St. Florian is also the
patron of
Upper Austria, jointly with
Saint Leopold.
St. Florian is the patron
saint of
firefighting and
Poland. He was a
Roman soldier who converted to
Christianity. When the Emperor
Diocletian was rounding up
Christians, he claimed to be one and he was burned alive. After burning him, he was thrown into a river with a stone tied around his neck. His
feast day is
May 4. He is venerated in several places in
eastern Europe.
Florian lived in the time of the
Roman emperors
Diocletian and
Maximian, and was commander of the imperial
army in eastern
Bavaria,
Germany. The Roman regime sought to eradicate
Christianity, and sent
Aquilinus to persecute
Christians. When Aquilinus ordered Florian to offer sacrifice to the pagan
Roman gods in accordance with
Roman religion, he refused, and cheerfully accepted the
beatings of the
soldiers, who used
clubs,
spikes and
fire to
torture him. He was
executed by
drowning in the River
Enns. Later a woman named Valeria had a vision in which she saw him; Florian, in this vision, declared his intent that he be buried in a more appropriate location.
St. Florian's body, according to tradition, is buried in
Krakow,
Poland.
The
Austrian town of
St. Florian is named after him. According to legend, his body was stored at the location of the
Monastery of St. Florian.He is the protector of firefighters.
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Catholic Online article
