In the Christian tradition, a patron saint is considered a heavenly advocate for groups of the faithful, including families, parishes, regions, and countries.
The tradition of patron saints dates back to the Roman Empire and the construction of the first public churches. Many of these churches were built over the graves of martyrs and named after them, believing that the martyrs would advocate for the Christians worshipping there.
By the Middle Ages, organisations began adopting patron saints to seek heavenly protection for their interests and the health of their members.
Following the Royal Army Ordnance Corps tradition, Saint Barbara was adopted as the Patron Saint of the RNZAOC. Saint Barbara’s Day is commemorated on December 4th.
The Legend of Saint Barbara
Saint Barbara lived during the reign of Roman Emperor Maximian (305-311). She was from Heliopolis in the Roman province of Phoenice, now Baalbek in modern Lebanon. At this time, the Roman Empire was transitioning from paganism to Christianity. Barbara came from a wealthy merchant family that followed Roman polytheism. Her father, Dioscorus, a rich and well-known merchant, devoted himself to his only daughter after the death of his wife.
Barbara was exceptionally beautiful and intelligent. Her father, determined to protect her from the outside world, imprisoned her in a tower, allowing her contact only with teachers and servants who instructed her in pagan worship. From the tower, Barbara had a picturesque view of wooded hills, rivers, and fields of colourful flowers. This view led her to question the creation of such a beautiful world. Over time, she became convinced that the idols she had been taught to worship were merely human creations and could not have made the world around her.
As Barbara reached adulthood, Dioscorus began seeking suitors for her, but she refused them all, warning him that his insistence on marriage could damage their relationship. Sensing conflict in his daughter, Dioscorus allowed her some freedom, hoping it would change her attitude. Barbara used this opportunity to meet new people and soon encountered followers of Christianity. She learned about Jesus, the Holy Trinity, and the Christian Church and was eventually baptized by a priest from Alexandria disguised as a merchant to avoid detection.
Dioscorus, still unaware of Barbara’s conversion, left on a business trip, instructing her that a private bathhouse should be built for her. Originally designed with two windows, Barbara, inspired by her new faith, added a third window to represent the Holy Trinity. The bathhouse became a place of healing, where many miracles occurred. The 10th-century scholar St. Simeon Metaphrastes compared it to the Jordan River.
Upon his return, Dioscorus was furious to find the bathhouse altered and to learn that Barbara had rejected paganism and been baptised as a Christian. Enraged and feeling shamed, he attempted to strike Barbara with his sword. Barbara fled to the hills with her father in pursuit. According to legend, a hill opened up and hid Barbara within a crevice, blocking her father’s way.
Dioscorus, unable to find his daughter, sought help from two local shepherds. The first denied any knowledge of Barbara’s whereabouts, but the second, tempted by the promise of a reward, betrayed her location. As punishment for his betrayal, legend says he was turned to stone, and his flock was turned into locusts.
The Torture of Saint Barbara
Upon finding his daughter, Dioscorus locked her up, starving and beating her. Being a Christian was a crime at the time, so he had little choice but to hand Barbara over to the city prefect, Martianus. With Dioscorus’ cooperation, Martianus continued the beatings and torture. Refusing to renounce her Christian faith, Barbara prayed to Jesus. Miraculously, her wounds were healed each night despite the beatings during the day.
Infuriated by this, Martianus devised new tortures to persuade her to renounce her faith. However, Barbara drew strength from her prayers and remained steadfast. These tortures were carried out in public, where a virtuous Christian woman named Juliana took pity on Barbara. Inspired by Barbara’s voluntary martyrdom on behalf of all Christians, Juliana denounced the torturers loudly, leading to her seizure and torture alongside Barbara.
The Execution of Saint Barabra
Both women were repeatedly tortured, their bodies raked and wounded with hooks. They were stripped naked and paraded through the city, where they were met with derision and jeers. Despite this, Barbara continued to pray. According to legend, an angel appeared, covering their nakedness with a splendid robe and extinguishing the torches meant to burn them.
Frustrated by the lack of progress with the torture, Martianus ordered their execution. On the 4th of December, Barbara and Juliana were beheaded, with Dioscorus delivering the final blow to his daughter. A fellow Christian, Valentinus, buried Barbara, and her tomb became the site of many miracles. Shortly after the execution, both Dioscorus and Martianus were struck down and killed by lightning, an event seen by many as God’s retribution for their actions.
Patronage
Barbara appears to have been canonised by the seventh century, with her story introduced to Britain during the Crusades.
Her association with the lightning that killed her father linked her to lightning and fire. As Christianity became firmly established, Saint Barbara was invoked as a protectress against the perils of lightning. With the introduction of gunpowder in the Western world, she became the patroness of artillerymen. Over time, her patronage extended to those in danger of sudden death, including firefighters, sailors, armourers, military engineers, gunsmiths, tunnellers, miners, and warehouse workers.
Given the Royal Army Ordnance Corps’ connection to explosives and artillery, Saint Barbara was adopted as the Patron Saint of the RAOC. This tradition was carried over to many Commonwealth Ordnance Corps, including the RNZAOC.
A New Zealand Ordnance Connection to Saint Barbara
Surprisingly, there is a connection between the New Zealand Ordnance Corps and Saint Barbara. During the Second World War, C Section of the New Zealand Divisional Ordnance Field Park and the NZ Advanced Ordnance Depot were briefly deployed near Baalbek in modern-day Lebanon, the place attributed to Saint Barbara’s life.
Saint Barbara of Heliopolis of Phoenicia
Copyright © Robert McKie 2017
