Saints for animals are found throughout the Orthodox Church. Some examples of saints who help animals include St. Neot, St. Roche, and St. Paul of Obnaras. Learn more about these saints and what they did for animals. And remember that there are many more! We’ll cover the countless ways that saints have helped animals throughout history.
St. Neot
According to the legend, St. Neot, an orthodox saint, lived in the early ninth century in Glastonbury, England. He was an incredibly wise monk, who was known for caring for the poor, sick, and needy. He is the patron of animals, including birds and fish. He supposedly lived by a stream that contained three fish, and he prayed to the gods for help when he felt sick.
After he founded his monastery, thieves stole his oxen, but a generous ploughman gave them back. Neot then used deer to plough the fields. The thieves then repented and returned the oxen, and after the Saint’s blessing, they became devout monks themselves.
St. Roche
The patron saints of animals include St. Roche and St. Neot. The former is known for rescuing deer. The latter is the patron saint of animals and illnesses. Both were born in France and are revered for their compassion and healing powers. Both were born in abject poverty and dreadful circumstances. The story of St. Roche’s life is somewhat mysterious. It is known that his mother had tried for years to conceive. She was finally successful and the young Roche followed her example of asceticism.
In 1414, a plague ravaged the city of Constance. To alleviate the situation, priests ordered public prayers in honor of St. Roche and his companion, the dog. After the prayers, the plague stopped. This legend led to many depictions of these orthodox saints. Today, they are represented on city gates, in panel paintings, and fresco cycles. They are also depicted in works of art by numerous Renaissance artists.
St. Paul of Obnaras
Various prayers for animals are included in the Orthodox Book of Blessings, which is known in Greek as the Evchologion and Slavic as the Trebnik. These include prayers for animals that are suffering from demons and pathological organic disease. These prayers are also intended to help animals that are suffering from drought.
In Greek, St. Paul is the fourth of the Apostles, who intercede to the Christ God and are known as the Holy Apostles. His Feastday is celebrated on June 29th. The Apostles are the royal priesthood, who intercede between people and Christ.
St. Modesto
Saint Modestos was the patriarch of Jerusalem in the 7th century. He lived in asceticism and was given the title of Patriarch of Jerusalem when he was 49 years old. He was known for performing miracles. Once, in a dream, he appeared with his two companions, Saints Cosmas and Damian. He told them that he could heal the oxen and he would be appointed the Patriarch of Jerusalem.
In the Orthodox Christian tradition, offering blessings to animals is a common practice. Offering a blessing to farm animals is particularly significant, and it is even customary to honor them. Today, the Orthodox Church has several saints dedicated to the protection of animals. In addition to Saint Modesto, there are also new saints dedicated to animals. In Greece, St Modesto is the patron saint of farm animals.
St. Cosmas
In Greek mythology, St. Cosmas and Saint Damian, the patron saints of physicians, surgeons, and pharmacists, were twin brothers who were raised by the pious Saint Theodota. They were devoted Christians who studied holy books and grew to be righteous men.
Saint Cosmas is a revered figure in Orthodox Christianity. He preached the message of Orthodoxy and encouraged Christians to build schools. He died on August 24, 1779, and his death is still remembered in Epirus.
St. Damian
During the 3rd century AD, the twin brothers St. Damian and Cosmas embraced Christianity and practiced medicine without payment. They were regarded as holy unmercenaries and are known to have cured people of paralysis and blindness. They also purportedly expelled a breast serpent. Unfortunately, the two were caught and imprisoned by the governor of Cilicia, Lysias, in modern-day A++ukurova. The next Christian ruler, Diocletian, was a conservative religious conservative who favored the Olympian Gods and issued a series of edicts against the orthodox Christians.
In response, the emperor Justinian dedicated two churches in Constantinople in gratitude. Later, their relics spread throughout Europe. Though the cult of St. Damian did not resonate in England, it did spread throughout the region. Early depictions of the saints did not distinguish between a physician and a pharmacist, but pharmacists recognized the saint as their patron.
St. Gertrude
Saint Gertrude was born in the Belgian city of Nivelles in the year 626. She attended a Cistercian monastery school. She became known for her generosity and devotion to God and to her faith. She later left the monastery to take care of those in need.
The abbey that she founded remains today. It survived an attack by French forces in 1794 and the bombing of Nazi Germany in 1940. Today, she is the unofficial patron saint of cats. She was born into an illustrious dynasty in early medieval Europe. Her father was the Mayor of the Palace of Austrasia, which was a place of usurpation.
