St. Blaise was a bishop and physician and is the patron saint of throats. He was the bishop of Sebaste, Turkey. When the persecutions started under Emperor Diocletian (r. 284-205), Blaise took refuge in a cave, where he cared for wild animals. Years later, hunters found him and took him to Governor Agricolaus of Cappadocia and Lower Armenia during the persecution of Emperor Licinius Licinianus. Blaise was tortured with iron rods and beheaded. The custom of blessing throats on his feast day is taken from Blaise’s healing of a young boy who had a fish bone stuck in his throat. The candles used in the ceremonies are commemoratives of the candles brought to Blaise in prison by the boy’s mother. Many other miraculous events are recorded as part of Blaise’s legends.

Blaise is one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers who are a group of saints venerated together in Catholic tradition because their intercession is believed to be particularly effective against specific diseases and dangers. Each saint is invoked for aid regarding particular ailments or needs. The Fourteen Holy Helpers are: Acacius, Barbara, Blaise, Catherine of Alexandria, Christopher, Cyriacus, Denis, Erasmus of Formia, Eustace, George, Giles, Margaret of Antioch, Pantaleon, and Vitus.