There are two Christians called Erasmus in the history of Christianity Saint Elmo is venerated as the patron saint of sailors and abdominal pain. He is one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers. He was Bishop of Formia, Italy, during the persecution of Christians by emperors Diocletian and Maximian Hercules. He went to Mount Libabus where he hid for 7 years. An angel counseled him to return to the city. The Acts of Saint Elmo compiled from Legends tell us that on his way back to the city he met some soldiers who questioned him. He admitted to being a Christian. He faced Diocletian. He was bound with chains and thrown into prison- an angel helped him escape. He continued to confess his faith and Maximian had him enclosed in a barrel with protruding spikes and rolled down the hill - an angel intervened. He must eventually have died a cruel martyr’s death A number of unreliable legends fill Erasmus’ story. Sources Wikipedia

Saint Florin was a Roman soldier who advanced through the ranks to commander. He also was responsible for organizing and leading firefighting brigades. He was a Christian who did not enforce proscription ( public identification and official condemnation of enemies of the state) of Christians in his territory. Aquilinus was sent to investigate these reports. He refused to sacrifice to the Roman gods and he was sentenced to be burned at the stake. Standing on the funeral pyre he is reputed to have said, If you wish to know that I am not afraid of your torture, light the fire, and in the name of the Lord I will climb onto it. The apprehensive soldiers decided to drown him instead. They drowned him in the Enns River with a millstone around his neck. ( See painting by Albrecht Altdorfer) The name ‘Florin’ is given to many boys in Bavaria and Austria to secure the saint’s patronage against fire. Saint Florin is the patron saint of Poland and Austria. He is also celebrated in Hungary. Sources Wikipedia The Encyclopedia of Saints by Howard Loxton

Saint Francis was a friar and founder of Order of Minims. His parents were pious: they prayed for years, through the intercession of St. Francis of Assisi, for a son. As a child he showed a preference for abstinence and prayer. Aged 13 he was placed in a convent and was taught to read. He abstained from wearing linen or eating meat. Aged 14 he went on a pilgrimage with his parents to the Portiuncula at Assisi and then on to Rome. Aged just 15 he became a hermit. He made a cave and stayed alone for 6 years devoting himself to prayer and self-mortification… In 1436, aged now 20, he was joined by 2 other devoutly inclined persons. 3 cells and a chapel was built by local people. The 3 sang divine prayers every day in the chapel. A priest from the village celebrated mass with them. This marked the beginning of the order Hermits of Saint Francis of Assisi. Within 17 years the numbers had grown. In 1454 a large monastery and church were sanctioned by the Archbishop of Cosenza. Francis and his companions sought to live unknown and hidden from the world. To the 3 rules of Evangelical council - poverty, chastity and obedience they added fasting for Lent. On May17th 1474 Pope Sixtus IV gave his approval to the order. On July 28th 1506 Pope Julius 11 simplified the name of the community to Order of the Minims. Saint Francis died at Piessis on April 2nd aged 91 The order soon spread to France, Germany and Spain and continues to exist today. minims -meaning - least of the faithful – many at the beginning were laypersons not priests Sources Wikipedia The Encyclopedia of Saints by Howard Loxton

I have put together some information and some work sheets about St. George, the patron saint of England. The first sheet is a cover. The next two are information sheets followed by two large font sheets showing basic data. These are followed by two ‘gap’ pages which are differentiated. There is then a crossword which needs a picture answer followed by a word search. The next page is about St. George’s flag and the Union Jack. The last two pages are for the child’s diary - the first sheet gives ideas what to write about, the second is a clip art page for his ‘best’ copy. David Woodroffe, a professional illustrator, created the original art work. 6 extra pictures added by Super Coloring