Saint Who?
Saints Who Worked with Their Hands
Saint Phocas the Gardener
Martyr (c. 303) Feast: September 22
According to tradition, Phocas was a Christian who lived in Sinope (Turkey), a city along the Black Sea. He led a simple life, eating the produce of his garden and giving food to the poor. Because his home was near a busy port, he also practiced Christian hospitality by greeting travelers and offering them a place to stay.
One day, Phocas invited a group of Roman soldiers to stay overnight in his home. Over their meal, the soldiers shared with him that they had been sent to arrest and execute a well-known Christian in that city. The Christian’s name was Phocas.
Without revealing his identity, Phocas quietly left his home and began digging his own grave. He then returned and explained to his guests that he was the person they were seeking. Like his Lord, he did not try to evade arrest and death, and the soldiers obeyed their orders and buried their host in his own garden. For obvious reasons, the martyr Phocas has long been honored as the patron of gardeners. But sailors also invoke his intercession because his name means “seal” (the friendly water animal) in Greek. There is an ancient tradition that he is a strong protector against snakebite due to the legend that, before he was finally martyred, he was thrown into a pit of venomous snakes, but they would not bite him.
Creator God, help us see your love
in the beauty of creation.
