St. Florian is the patron saint of firefighters and fire service. His story is well known to many who serve the public in this capacity. Florian was a Roman soldier who converted to Christianity. He is known for miraculously dousing a fire that was consuming a city with a single pitcher of water.
Recently at the third annual St. Florian feast, all the firefighters of Philadelphia were honored for their service. Fire trucks lined the street in procession as the firefighters and equipment were blessed in honor of St. Florian. One clergyman commented that the firefighters engage in a holy calling and vocation. Each year this event has gotten larger and a similar event is planned for the fall around the time of the feast of St. Michael, the patron saint of police officers.
Father Frank Salmani
St. William Church, Warwick
