St. Christopher

The well loved patron of travelers, much of what we know of St. Christopher comes from legends. We are certain that a Christopher was martyred during the reign of Decius about 251, but everything else known about him is uncertain. Legend has Christopher, whose original name was Offero, was converted to Christianity by a hermit living next to a river frequently crossed by travelers. Offero was a giant man and offered to give travelers a ride across the river on his shoulders. One day, he placed a child on his shoulder and started across the river, but the little boy proved so heavy that Offero could not carry him. When he asked the child about this, the little boy replied that he was the Christ child and that He was heavy because He carried the sins of the world on His shoulders. Because of this, Offero came to be called Christopher, which means Christ bearer. During the middle Ages, St. Christopher was venerated as one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers. He is also called Cristobal, Kester, and Kitts. His feast used to be celebrated on July 25.