Saint Barbara

An ancient legend says Barbara lived in the 3rd century in the Eastern Roman Empire. Her pagan father locked her in a tower, where she became a Christian and had a third window built to honor the Holy Trinity. Her father put her to death himself and was then struck by lightning. She is one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers. Saint John Damascene is also remembered today.

A lovely custom is to cut cherry or fruit-tree branches on her feast and keep them in water so that they bloom by Christmas. She is the patron of US Army and Marine artillery, whose Order of Saint Barbara honors soldiers, and London's Crossrail tunnelers kept her statue at every dig.