martyred c.251 under
Decius.
Also known as
Kitts, but mainly
Offero.
Offero was a powerfully built
Canaanite who wandered the world in search of
novelty and
adventure. He came upon a
hermit who lived beside a dangerous stream and served others by guiding them to safe places to cross. He gave
Offero instruction in
the truth of God. He took the hermit's place, but instead of guiding
travellers,
he carried them safely across the stream.
One day he carried a small
child across the stream. The child's weight nearly crushed him. When they arrived on the other side, the child revealed himself as
Christ, and he was so heavy because
he bore the weight of the world on himself. Christ then
baptised Offero with water from the stream.
Offero's service at the stream led to his patronage of things related to
travel and
travellers, people who carry things, etc...
Saint Christopher was removed from the Roman calendar as there is no proof of his existence. His former holy day is July 25.
Sometimes represented as a
torrent or also a
giant.
Patron saint of :
archers,
automobile drivers,
automobilists,
bechelors,
boatmen,
bus drivers,
cab drivers,
floods,
fruit dealers,
fullers,
hailstorms,
holy death,
lorry drivers,
mariners,
market carriers,
motorist,
porters,
Rab Croatia,
sailors,
storms,
sudden death,
taxi drivers,
toothache,
transportation, transportation workers,
travellers,
truck drivers,
truckers, and
watermen.