Top 9 Incredible Facts about Saint Barbara

Saint Barbara by Pieter van Lint – Wikimedia Commons

Top 9 Incredible Facts about Saint Barbara

Saint Barbara was an early Christian Lebanese and Greek saint and martyr. In the Eastern Orthodox Church, she is known as the Great Martyr Barbara.

Barbara was born in the mid-third century in Heliopolis, Phoenice, Roman Empire. As far as stories go, trials and tribulations might be as bad as they get in Barbra’s story.

Despite there being disputes and doubts over Saint Barbra’s history, there is no denying her crucial role in the history of Christianity. She is Venerated in the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, Oriental Orthodoxy, Aglipayan Church, and Anglicanism.

Below are some incredible facts about the life and afterlife of the virgin martyr Saint Barbara.

1. Locked Up in A Tower by Her Father

Barbra was the daughter of a rich Pagan man by the name of Dioscorus. Her date of birth is unknown but rumored to be in the mid-3rd century. After the death of Barbra’s mother, Dioscorus dedicated his life to “protecting” his only daughter.

To do this he opted to shield her from the world by locking her up in a high tower. The only people Barbra had access to were her pagan teachers.

In this state of solitude, Barbra was without a doubt bored out of her mind. She spent days on days gazing upon the hills and landscape from the tower. Soon enough she started pondering the “First Cause and Creator of so harmonious and splendid a world.”

2. Converted to Christianity Against Her Father’s Will

Barbara of Nicomedia by Raphael – Wikimedia Commons

As Barbra grew older, her father started introducing men to her for marriage. She turned all of them down and instead secretly became a Christian.

She offered herself completely to the Lord, choosing a life of consecrated virginity. Dioscorus permitted Barbara to leave her tower in the hopes that giving her some freedom might alter her demeanor.

Barbara made use of the occasion to network with other Christians. She learned about the Church, the Holy Trinity, and the Lord Jesus from them. Barbara was baptized into Christ and His Church by an Alexandrian priest who was dressed as a merchant.

3. Martyred by Her Father

The Martyrdom of Saint Barbara (Angermuseum Erfurt) by Lucas Cranach the Elder – Wikimedia Commons

Her father commissioned the construction of a private bathhouse for Barbara while she was away traveling the globe. Although there were just two windows originally intended, Barbara suggested adding a third to create a Trinity of light.

She confessed to being a Christian when her father came home. Barbara upheld her Christian beliefs while being mercilessly tortured before the provincial prefect, Martinianus. The prison’s darkness was illuminated during the night, and more marvels took place.

Her wounds had healed every morning. When they approached her, the torches intended to burn her went out. She was ultimately sentenced to death by being beheaded. Her father carried out the beheading himself!

Legend has it that the Martyrdom took place on December 4th. Barbra’s father was struck by lightning on the same night and his body was consumed by flame. A fitting punishment for such a heinous act!

4. There Is Substantial Doubt About Her History

St. Barbara’s remains were transported to Constantinople in the sixth century. They were sent to Kiev 600 years later by the Byzantine Emperor Alexius Comnenos’ daughter. They are presently in repose at Kiev’s St. Vladimir church.

The 7th century saw the introduction of Saint Barbara to Rome. The 9th century saw the beginning of her worship, initially in the East. Her historicity is questioned because she was not mentioned in the previous martyrologies.

St. Barbara was removed from the General Roman Calendar due to uncertainty and concerns about her history, but she was left on the Catholic Church’s list of saints.

5. Patron saint of armorers, artillerymen, architects, mathematicians, miners, and the Italian Navy

Catholics who run the risk of a sudden, violent death at work revere Saint Barbara. She is prayed to for protection from lightning and thunder as well as from any accidents brought on by gunpowder blasts.

She was elevated to the status of a patron saint for anyone who dealt with explosives and cannons. This includes artillerymen, armorers, military engineers, gunsmiths, and others.

She became the patron saint of miners, tunnellers, and other underground workers in the 1600s as gunpowder was widely used in mining. She became a supporter of the geology and mine engineering fields as they evolved in conjunction with mining.

6. The Feast of Santa Barbara Is Held Annually

In Italy and especially Paterno in the province of Catania, a feast is held annually in honor of Saint Barbara. Every year on December 3rd, 4th, 5th, 11th, May 27th, and July 27th, the event is held.

The martyrdom of the saint occurred on December 4th. The miracle of preventing the eruption of Mount Etna in 1780 is remembered on May 27 during the feast of Santa Barbara’s patronage.

The celebration of the arrival of the relics that were carried to Pattern in 1576 takes place on July 27th. One of the most exquisite Catholic holidays celebrated in Italy is the feast of Santa Barbara.

7. Depicted in Various Forms of Art Around the World

Sculpture of Saint Barbara on the Charles Bridge, Prague, by Jan and Ferdinand Brokoff, 1707 by Joker Island – Wikipedia

Saint Barbra is a monumental figure in the entire Christian religion. To this end, she is depicted in several art forms from different periods and cultures. This includes paintings, statues, and sculptures.

One of these artworks is the sculpture of Saint Barbara on the Charles Bridge, Prague, by Jan and Ferdinand Brokoff in 1707. Another is the painting; The Holy Family with Saint Barbara and young Saint John, by Paolo Veronese from 1565.

There is also a painting titled Saint Barbara flees from her father, by Peter Paul Rubens from 1620. Another is a Fourteenth-century sculpture in the Musée National du Moyen Âge, Paris.

8. Cultural Impact Through the Ages

The 2006 book Against the Day by Thomas Pynchon mentions Saint Barbara. In Federico Garca Lorca’s play La Casa de Bernarda Alba, Saint Barbara is mentioned (1936). The 1973 version of Santa Bárbara, Virgen y Mártir, was the first Spanish-language telenovela to be produced in color for television in the United States. It was shot entirely on location in Hialeah, Florida.

The Ballad of Saint Barbara was written by G. K. Chesterton. He incorporated the Saint’s Legend into a modern description of the massive artillery barrages that changed the course of the First Battle of the Marne.

The LAPD uses a bomb-squad robot named Babs in “Time Bomb,” an episode of The Closer, in honor of St. Barbara, who serves as the patron saint of people who work with explosives and artillery.

9. The Order of Saint Barbara

Order of Saint Barbara Medallion by Hardnfast – Wikipedia

The Order of Saint Barbara is recognized as an honorary society within the armed forces by the United States Army Field Artillery Association and the United States Army Air Defense Artillery Association.

The order has two levels of membership. For long-term exceptional service in the Field Artillery or Air Defense Artillery corps, the Honorable Order of St. Barbara, a silver medallion with a red ribbon, is awarded.

The first colonel or senior most lieutenant-colonel in the chain of command may give their approval for an appointment to the Honorable Order. The Ancient Order of Saint Barbara, a medallion in gold with a red ribbon, is the highest rank.

The field artillery members chosen for this accolade have outperformed even their fellow members of the Honorable Order of Saint Barbara in terms of sustained, exemplary service. The Commanding General of the United States Army Fires Center of Excellence at Fort Sill must approve the ancient order.