On May 4th, the Church commemorates the life of St. Florian, a 3rd century Roman soldier, and martyr. While his relation to firefighters is much clearer for the miraculous help he provided in putting out a fire, his connection to soap making is far less obvious. And yet, since I was seeking a saint over this traditional skill of many a homesteader, his name was the only one that would pop up! It appears the relationship is due to his involvement with putting out said fire. Soap, for a very long time, was made using the chemical, lye, which is produced from filtering water through ashes. Since Florian put out the fire (which produced ashes) with water, it seems this is the relationship.

The Catholic Church is far from the originator of soap making, and search on Catholicism and soap will point out some articles that claim the Church prohibited bathing with soap (not true, though apparently some people did discourage it’s use for ascetical purposes), there don’t appear to be any particular traditions associated with it. However, castile soap was made popular during the Middle Ages after the process was discovered by the crusaders, who brought the process home with them to Spain. Soap or no soap, cleanliness has long been associated with those who follow God. The Bible makes explicitly clear that a certain level of hygiene was required of the Israelites, and this type of cleanliness would have undoubtedly accompanied those first followers of Christ. While spiritual cleanliness has always certainly been a part of the expectation for the followers of God, physical cleanliness has been as well. There’s a reason the phrase “cleanliness is next to Godliness” is a quip that exists! So it comes as no surprise that today there exist many Catholic companies that produce soap.

But the homesteader should also rightly be on guard for fires and fire safety. Years ago, our own homestead experienced a tragedy through a series of events that led to our then chicken coop burning down, while full of a flock of chicks and ducklings. The fire was really a pretty unforeseeable tragedy, and yet it put us on high alert, and had us examining many things. Around that same time, I was part of an online homesteading community, and many of the people I knew through the group had also dealt with fire on the homestead, either in the form of wildfire or electrical issues due to things like dust in outlets in outbuildings. (Speaking of wildfires, Our Lady of Champion would be a powerful intercessor in such a situation!) In the years that followed, there were several house fires in our area, some of which completely destroyed homes. To have a good fire safety plan in place is a wise idea, and to know what kinds of dangers may be associated with some of the work of the homestead is a wise idea. It doesn’t hurt to have a saintly friend to call on should such a situation occur!

Prayer for the Intercession of Saint Florian of Lorch

Dear Saint Florian of Lorch, you who have been chosen as patron of soap-boilers, we humbly ask for your intercession before our Lord. Guide and protect all those who seek your help in matters of soap-boilers. Through your holy example, help us to grow in faith and virtue. Amen.

Litany of St. Florian (for Protection Against Fires)

Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

St. Florian, protector against fire, pray for us.
St. Florian, strength of firefighters, pray for us.
St. Florian, faithful servant of Christ, pray for us.
St. Florian, comforter of those in danger, pray for us.
St. Florian, intercessor in emergencies, pray for us.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.

Let us pray:
Lord, through the intercession of St. Florian, protect us from all dangers of fire. May his courage and faith inspire us to trust in You in all trials. Through Christ, our Lord. Amen.