Saint Theodore

Original Patron of Venice, Italy; Patron of Recruits & Enlisted Soldiers, Invoked Against Theft

Theodore was revered in the Eastern Orthodox Church and known as a dragon slayer. A crocodile is at his feet, meant to represent a dragon. He is the first patron Saint of Venezia, or Venice, Italy. At the Chapel of Doge, his statue was celebrated until the Byzantium Empire fell in disfavor and Saint Mark’s became the emblematic figure of Venice. Both statue columns took many years to be raised and lifted upright. Their placement was finally completed by the local engineer, Niccolo Barattieri. There is a tale that lifelong residents of Venice, to this day, will not walk between the two statues of Saint Mark and Saint Theodore because the area between the columns was the spot where public executions were held. Saint Theodore is traditionally celebrated on the first Saturday of the Lenten Season. After a long fasting period, the Clergy would commemorate the Holiday of Saint Theodore by serving Kolyva, boiled wheat, with honey and raisins. The theory was that since the worshippers had been fasting, it was best to prepare a mild dietary food for the body to absorb without difficulty. In France, at the Chartres Cathedral, there is a stained glass window with 38 panels, all celebrating the life and the curious story of Saint Theodore. ©2019