St. Florian, commemorated on the 4th of May in the Roman Martyrology, was a Roman officer who held a high administrative position in Noricum (now Austria) and died for his Faith during the time of Diocletian. His legendary “Acts” state that he gave himself up at Lorch to the soldiers of Aquilinus, the governor, when they were rounding up the Christians, and after making a bold confession, he was twice scourged, half-flayed alive, set on fire, and finally thrown into the river Enns with a stone around his neck. A pious woman recovered his body and buried it. It was then moved to the Augustinian Abby of St. Florian near Linz. It is said to have been at a later date translated to Rome, and Pope Lucius III, in 1138, gave some of the saint’s relics to King Casimir of Poland and to the Bishop of Cracow. St. Florian is now a patron saint of Poland, Linz and Upper Austria, as well as firemen. In many parts of Central Europe, St. Florian is revered. The tradition about his martyrdom near the place where the Enns meets the Danube is old and reliable. St. Florian’s intercession has been credited with numerous healing miracles.
