Saint Barbara Day

The 4th of Dec is the Feast of St Barbara.
In a nutshell, she is the patron saint of all who work with explosives (and some others). Which would include us. She is invoked in accidents involving explosives.

A favourite quote of mine from the Irish Field Artillery;
Saint Barbara of the artillery corps,
Be at the bursting of the doors of doom,
And in the dark deliver us.
Amen.

Wishing you all good health and best wishes.

Excellent !

Thanks much for info. We all need someone watching over us when using BP.

St Barbara is also the Patron Saint of the Royal regiment of Artillery of the British Army. The Regiment, the oldest in the Army, was formed in 1716. They provided the 'entertainment' fireworks at the Battle of New Orleans, and were the inspiration behind the words 'the rocket's red glare' in your national anthem. Gonnes were first used by the English - on land - at the Battle of Crécy in 1346, but had previously been used at the Battle of Sluys in 1326, a naval engagement against the perennial enemy of choice, Les Frogs. In the usual confusing manner of British Army regiments, the Regiment is itself composed of Regiments, but enough of this drift.

I served three years in the US Army's Artillery, 155mm self propelled howitzers. I did not know about St Barbara and I thank you for the enlightenment.

yonderin said:

The 4th of Dec is the Feast of St Barbara.
In a nutshell, she is the patron saint of all who work with explosives (and some others). Which would include us. She is invoked in accidents involving explosives.

A favourite quote of mine from the Irish Field Artillery;
Saint Barbara of the artillery corps,
Be at the bursting of the doors of doom,
And in the dark deliver us.
Amen.

Wishing you all good health and best wishes.

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ST. Barbara is also memorialized at Gettysburg.
A tribute to Confederate Gunners Louisiana

Sm

I missed the monument during my one quicky trip to Gettysburg, will have to seek it out on my next visit.

Just read that St. Barbara was removed from the General Roman Calendar in 1969 but not he Catholic Church's list of saints. This was due to doubts about her legend.

TFoley said:

St Barbara is also the Patron Saint of the Royal regiment of Artillery of the British Army. The Regiment, the oldest in the Army, was formed in 1716. They provided the 'entertainment' fireworks at the Battle of New Orleans, and were the inspiration behind the words 'the rocket's red glare' in your national anthem. Gonnes were first used by the English - on land - at the Battle of Crécy in 1346, but had previously been used at the Battle of Sluys in 1326, a naval engagement against the perennial enemy of choice, Les Frogs. In the usual confusing manner of British Army regiments, the Regiment is itself composed of Regiments, but enough of this drift.

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One of the things I enjoy about some threads and discussions is how it can lead into interesting stuff. Battle of Crecy - King John of Bohemia was blind and insisted on taking part in the charge. The adoption of his insignia by The Black Prince Edward and it's retention by The Prince of Wales since.

Hope all have survived the craziness in it's various forms over the past year.

Best wishes and good luck to everyone this St Barbara's Day.

All I can say, and I say it with certainty, my Barbara is a Saint !

yonderin said:

One of the things I enjoy about some threads and discussions is how it can lead into interesting stuff. Battle of Crecy - King John of Bohemia was blind and insisted on taking part in the charge. The adoption of his insignia by The Black Prince Edward and it's retention by The Prince of Wales since.

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'Ich dien' - 'I serve'.

Also, a small thing, I know, but the title is 'Edward, the Black Prince' - a post-mortem epithet after his chosen armour colour.

Rereading this thread made me think of my sister Barbara. She had one older brother and two younger. And because she was less trouble to my parents than the three boys, my brothers and I referred to her as St. Barbara, lol.

It kind of sounds like the Legend of St. Barbara is more legend than fact. A pagan father kills his christian daughter? We got some bad eggs in this world but not many father/daughter slayings.

Eutycus said:

It kind of sounds like the Legend of St. Barbara is more legend than fact. A pagan father kills his christian daughter? We got some bad eggs in this world but not many father/daughter slayings.

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Thems was terble times, for sure.

Eutycus, help me out on this. I think I remember you mentioned a powder factory explosion in the CSA that killed a lot of young girls and a book was written about it.

Oh...SAINT Barbara. I thought you said...

ppg1949 said:

Eutycus, help me out on this. I think I remember you mentioned a powder factory explosion in the CSA that killed a lot of young girls and a book was written about it.

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This one?



Year Erected: 2011

Marker Text: In August, 1864 a violent explosion destroyed the granulating building of the Augusta Powder Works, one of the 28 buildings of the Confederacy’s massive gunpowder mill along Augusta Canal. Eight men and a boy died when 18,000 pounds of gunpowder exploded in one of the most lethal industrial accidents in the Civil War South. This, along with poor pay, prompted women at the facility to go on strike the following October. With many men away in the army, an increasing number of women and children were pulled into the workforce. The unsuccessful strike was one of many at war-time industrial facilities across Georgia, where pay was low and working conditions often dangerous.

Erected for the Civil War 150 commemoration by the Georgia Historical Society, the Georgia Department of Economic Development, and the Augusta Canal Authority.

Honored by some of us in the 1st Arkansas Light Artillery, Confederate, St. Barbara is supposed to have lived in the 200's A.D. in Asia minor. Having been converted to Christianity, her father (a Pagan and a minor government official), locked her in a tower and left on a trip. While he was gone, she had 3 windows installed in the tower, symbolizing the Holy Trinity. Her father, incensed at the windows, brought her to court, where she was tortured to recant her beliefs, which she retained.. Her father then took her up a mountain where he beheaded her. On his way back home he was struck and killed by lightning, thus providing the basis of her patronage of all who risk sudden death; Artillerymen, Firefighters, etc. Those who honor St. Barbara toast her life and memory with a drink on her birthday, December 4th.