Monday, Feb. 21, 1938

Dentists' Saint

In the Third Century, Bishop Dionysius of Alexandria, Egypt wrote to a colleague: "Apollonia the parthenos presbytis [elderly virgin] was held in high esteem. These men seized her . . . and by repeated blows broke all her teeth. They then erected outside the city gates a pile of fagots and threatened to burn her alive if she refused to repeat after them impious words. Given, at her own request, a little freedom, she sprang quickly into the fire and was burned to death."

For her Christian sufferings Apollonia was sainted. Still popular, she gives her name today to many a Catholic in eastern Europe, such as Polish Actress Pola Negri, born Apollonia Chalupec. But her greatest popularity springs from the fact that she has become a patron saint of dentists.* Last week, to show that it had not waned, no less than 500 French dentists made a pilgrimage on St. Apollonia's feast day to one of her chief shrines, at La Gaude near Nice. In the parish church which contains her statue the dentists attended mass, then made merry in the village.

Equally pious was an act reported last week from India. The Safety First Association sponsored the unveiling of a statue of St. Christopher, patron of travelers, in one of Bombay's biggest bus stations.

* Patron saints of physicians & surgeons are SS. Cosmas & Damian; of nurses, St. A.catha; of throat ailments, St. Blaise.

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