St. Elmo (June 3rd) is held in peculiar veneration in Sicily and Spain. The celebrated Neapolitan monastery of this name is placed under his special protection. His attribute in Christian Art is a wheel or skein upon which silk is generally wound, because, so says the legend, seeing that he withstood all ordinary tortures, his entrails were wound round such a wheel. (Martyred 296.) Fast, concise facts and information about Saint Elmo
The following provides fast and concise facts and information: - The patron of Sailors
- Namesake for the weather phenomenon of static electric discharge called Saint Elmo's Fire
- Memorial Day / Feast Day: June 3rd
- Date of Death: Saint Elmo died in A.D. 296
- Cause of Death: Beheaded
Who or what is Saint Elmo the patron saint of?
Saint Elmo is the patron of Sailors. Meanings, definition and origins - a patron is considered to be a defender of a specific group of people or of a nation. There is a patron for virtually every cause, profession or special interest. Prayers are considered more likely to be answered by asking a patron for intercession on their behalf. The Story and History of Saint Elmo
The story and history of Saint Elmo. Elmo, or Erasmus, was born in the Roman city of Formiae in Campagna, Southern Italy under the rule of the Roman Emperor Diocletian (r.284-305). Emperor Diocletian mounted some of the fiercest persecutions of the early Christian Church. Elmo became the bishop of Formiae and converted many people to Christianity. He was subsequently arrested, tortured by having his intestines wound onto a winch or capstan and then finally he was beheaded. Death of Saint Elmo
There are two categories of saints: martyrs and confessors. A Christian martyr is regarded as one who is put to death for his Christian faith or convictions. Confessors are people who died natural deaths. Date of Death: Saint Elmo died in A.D. 296. Cause of Death: Beheaded. St Elmo's Fire
St. Elmo's fire is the electrical weather phenomenon which sometimes appeared on ships at sea during thunderstorms terrifying the superstitious sailors who believed it was an omen of heavenly intervention. Charles Darwin described St. Elmo's Fire as follows: "Everything is in flames, - the sky with lightning, - the water with luminous particles, and even the
very masts are pointed with a blue flame." Why is Saint Elmo the patron of Sailors?
Why is Saint Elmo is the patron of Sailors? Because of the use of the winch, or capstan, during his terrible torture. How Saint Elmo is represented in Christian Art
It is helpful to be able to recognise Saint Elmo in paintings, stained glass windows, illuminated manuscripts, architecture and other forms of Christian art. The artistic representations reflect the life or death of saints, or an aspect of life with which the person is most closely associated. Saint Elmo is represented in Christian Art with a wheel or skein upon which silk is generally wound, because, so says the legend, seeing that he withstood all ordinary tortures, his entrails were wound round such a wheel.
Feast Day of Saint Elmo
The Feast Day of Saint Elmo is June 3rd. The origin of Feast Days: most saints have specially designated feast days and are associated with a specific day of the year and these are referred to as the saint's feast day. The feast days first arose from the very early Christian custom of the annual commemoration of martyrs on the dates of their deaths at the same time celebrating their birth into heaven. | 