We all have suffered at least once many kinds of ear problems such as hearing loss, vertigo, tinnitus and otalgia. But did you know there are patron saints for all these symptoms?
Within the Christian faith, patron saints are particularly important in the Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches. There are patrons for all parts of the body and most diseases. With regard to ENT, there are at least 56; including headaches (for which, believe it or not, there’s a St Aspren).
Saints Mamas, Louis, and Conon (of Naso) are there for the ears. The saints who have patronage to deafness; are Saints Cadoc of Llancarfan, Francis de Sales, Ovidius, Drogo, Mériadec and Audoin. Surprisingly, there is only one patron for vertigo: St Ulric. St Polycarp and St. Cornelius preside over the subspecialty of otalgia.
St Mamas of Caesarea
The tale of young Mamas who was arrested during a purge on Christianity and subjected to cruel torture. The Roman authorities tried to drown him, but an angel rescued him from the river and carried him to Mount Argeus, a high wild mountain, where he developed a remarkable ability to communicate with wild beasts. They gathered outside his cave and listened to him reading the Holy Gospel. Mamas drank the milk of wild goats and deer and became well known for his cheese, which he gave to the poor. The governor, however, heard of this and sent soldiers to re-arrest him. When he invited them into his cave for refreshment, they mistook Mamas for a poor shepherd. He was arrested, but Mamas told the soldiers to go ahead of him to Caesarea, giving his parole that he would soon follow. The soldiers acceded and waited for him at the gates of the city. They were flabbergasted when Mamas arrived there riding on a lion and carrying a lamb. He had evidently seen the lion attacking the lamb and asked it to stop.
The governor threw Mamas to more lions in the arena, who would not touch him, because they had been his friends when he lived on the mountain. Finally, one of the pagan priests killed him with a trident.