We will have the St. Blaise Blessing of Throats at the ends of Masses on the weekend  of February 5th & 6th.  Parishioners will be invited to come forth at the end of Mass for a special individual blessing of their throats with candles blessed on the Feast of the Presentation in commemoration of St. Blaise (Feast Day, February 3rd), the patron saint against throat ailments.
 
Our Holy Redeemer School students, teachers, and faculty will have the opportunity to have their throats blessed at the School Mass on Wednesday, February 2nd.
 
The Story of St. Blaise.  There isn’t much known about this fourth century martyr, but some legends might give us a clue into the current traditions for his feast day. St. Blaise is said to have been born into a wealthy noble family. He was raised a Christian and became a bishop in Armenia; then the persecution of Christians began. While he was in prison for refusing to renounce his faith, a young boy was choking on a fish bone, and was miraculously saved by St. Blaise.
 
But what about the candles? Another legend says that on his way to prison, St. Blaise encountered a wolf who had captured a poor woman’s pig. She begged for St. Blaise to help, and he commanded the wolf to release the livestock. In gratitude for his intervention, the woman brought candles to his prison cell so that he would have light to read the Scriptures.
 
St. Blaise was martyred around the year 316 during the persecution of Licinius.
 

“Through the intercession of St. Blaise, bishop and martyr,
may God deliver you from every disease of the throat
and from every other illness,
in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”