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Saint Corona

Tribble

Tribble

Killjoy Boffin
Joined
Apr 21, 2015
Messages
2,956
Aachen Cathedral has a shrine to St. Corona, claiming she's the patron saint of epidemics.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...f-st-corona-patron-of-epidemics-idUSKBN21C2PM

Thing is... far as I can see, she's not. Gambling and treasurehunting is her field of expertise.

https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=1968

St. Edmund gets the pandemic gig.

https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=3049

Suspect the cathedral's hoping to draw in the visitors (and money) by being flexible with their theology...
 
Then again, praying to the patron saint of gambling would be an appropriate idea for those ready to travel out in public.

The patron saint of something can be a little confusing; it wasn't always a carefully thought out process. For example, this Saint Corona is also the patron of lumberjacks. Whether she really is a patron of pandemics is hard to determine.
And then again she may also never have existed; we Catholics have rather a few of those, saints that may be from stories rather than reality.
 
Krepostnoi said:
Because what any sensible cathedral ought to be doing right now is drawing in visitors.
Click to expand...

They know this - they are bringing it out for photos and online stuff. Remember that our magic works without you having to be there ;)

It is not clear when people will now be able to view the shrine due to tough restrictions on gatherings imposed to help combat the spread of the virus.
Click to expand...
 
Tribble said:
Aachen Cathedral has a shrine to St. Corona, claiming she's the patron saint of epidemics.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...f-st-corona-patron-of-epidemics-idUSKBN21C2PM
Thing is... far as I can see, she's not. Gambling and treasurehunting is her field of expertise.
https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=1968
Suspect the cathedral's hoping to draw in the visitors (and money) by being flexible with their theology...
Click to expand...

I wonder whether this alleged connection between Saint Corona and epidemics is based on a mistaken identity (wrong saint).

As noted above, Saint Corona is considered a patron saint of treasure hunting and gambling.

St. Corona is known as St. Stephanie in the Eastern Orthodox Church. The story of the ancient Eastern St. Stephanie is the same as the Western / Roman St. Corona.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_and_Corona

The Western / Roman tradition has its own St. Stephanie from the 15th century. This St. Stephanie had stigmata, healed remarkably fast, and is considered by some sources to be a patron saint of healing. This second / Western St. Stephanie hadn't been born when the other saint's (Corona's / Stephanie's) relics were brought to Aachen circa 1000 CE.
 
I think the main cull of saints dates from around Vatican II, when they were evicted along with Latin and plainsong. Those are permitted by dispensation, still, while the defrocked saints are demoted to a life in the affections of the faithful, who have the occasional Saint Christopher talisman on life's dashboard.

Didn't FT have a column devoted to rare and obscure saints? Long gone, alas. :angel:
 
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