Saint Barbara
The patron saint of artillerymen is Saint Barbara and her feast day in the Orthodox calendar is 4th December. There are several legends about her life and martyrdom but most share several common elements.
She was Greek living in Heliopolis, Egypt in the 3rd or 4th century AD, and converted to Christianity against her father's wishes. Some legends say that her father, Dioscorus, presented her with a prospective husband whom she refused to marry as he was not a Christian.
He had a tower built for her, either to imprison her or to house her hamman, but she ordered three windows to be installed as a symbol of the Holy Trinity and an outward demonstration of her faith. Her father was so angered he ordered her to be beheaded (some say he carried out this act himself). Suddenly, a violent storm broke out and he was struck by a bolt of lightning, which killed him, outright.
Barbara seems to have been canonized by the 7th century and her story introduced to Britain during the time of the Crusades. Saint Barbara was invoked to grant safety from lightning, later becoming the Patron Saint of Gunners, who were at risk from fiery elements.
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03-Dec-2006. 02-Dec-2007. St Barbara's Day Service