Hourly ceremonies to bless people’s throats, to mark the feast day of St Blaise, are ongoing at the Franciscan Friary this Friday and they will continue until 7.00pm tonight.
Blaise was a physician and bishop who is venerated as a saint and martyr and he is always associated with illnesses connected to the throat.
St Blase was the bishop of Sebaste in Armenia during the fourth century and he was a physician prior to that.
He was reputed to have miraculously cured a little boy who nearly died because of a fish bone stuck in his throat and, since then, has been invoked on behalf of the sick, especially those afflicted with diseases of or problems with the throat
The blessing of the throats tradition in the Franciscan Friary, Killarney is always hugely popular and, following initial blessings after 8.00am and 10.00am Mass this morning, further blessings will continue on the hour until 7.00pm tonight.
The blessing involves a short prayer being recited while crossed candles are held to the throat area.
KillarneyToday.com: Everyone reads it – ask anyone. Call 087-2229761 to advertise
