PHOCAS, Saint. - Martyred, probably under
Diocletian, at Sinope in Pontus and remembered by St.
Gregory Nazianzen and by the bishop Asterius. According
to the latter, Phocas, a gardener by trade, brought by his hospitality
welcomed his own persecutors
and after having refreshed them made himself known to them and
asked to be killed. From ancient times Phocas has
been invoked as a protector by sailors. The attempts to identify Phocas
with the god Fokos, with the Nordic spirit Klabautermann or with
the god Priapus, all patrons of seafaring people, are to be
rejected. The
feast of St. Phocas is on September 22.

Bibliography3 works

BIBL.: Acta SS. Septentr. Paris-Rome 1867, pp. 203-99; Ch. van de Vorst, St Phokas, in Anal. Bolland., 20 (1911), pp. 252-65; H. Delchaye, Hagiographie napolitaine, ibid., 27 (1939), pp. 33-34.

Ignazio Ortiz de Urbina

FOLKLORE

The Saint is venerated as patron of the
city of Francavilla in Calabria. His legend has inspired
a popular narrative song in hendecasyllables, of undoubted Calabrian origin, in which the principal episodes of the
life of this warrior Saint, from his conversion to the
proofs of strength of soul given in his martyrdom are narrated in a simple style not devoid of poetry.
Patron of caulkers: his attributes are the gardener's dress and the sword; his feast day is 22 September.

Bibliography2 works

BIBL.: O. Simonetti, Cento biografico sovra l'antiachene martire s. F., protettore della città di Francavilla in Calabria Ultra 2. Monteleone Calabro 1892; R. Lombardi Satriani, Canti popolari calabresi, IV, Naples 1933, pp. 317-21.

Paolo Toschi

@incollection{ec5_foca_santo, author = {Toschi, Paolo}, title = {Foca, santo}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {V}, pages = {1457}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1950}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/foca-santo} }

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Phocas, Saint

FOLKLORE

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