New attention brought to obscure St. Corona

Of all the notable figures the coronavirus pandemic has thrust into the spotlight — Anthony Fauci, Deborah Birx, Tom Hanks — none is more unexpected than a little-known Catholic saint, a martyr of the 2nd century who seemingly shares the name of the deadly virus.

St. Corona typically has not been beseeched as a patron saint of cures or contagions (fallacious internet stories to the contrary), but as a benefactor during times of economic crisis, according to the Catholic News Service.

“Over the centuries, St. Corona was often prayed to by people seeking her help in times of trouble, be it heavy storms or livestock diseases,” the news agency, run by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said Thursday in an online post. “People believed she had a positive influence regarding money matters, with ’coronae’ (crowns) being the name given to coins.”

The story of St. Corona is murky, with experts disagreeing over whether she born in France, Syria or Sicily. She is believed to have been the 16-year-old wife of a Roman soldier, who either was or was a comrade of St. Vincent, in Damascus circa 160.

For his Christian beliefs in violation of Roman law, Vincent was tortured and beheaded. Corona provided comfort to him during his tortures and was martyred herself: Tied between bent palm trees, she was ripped her apart when the trunks snapped erect.

She was given her saintly name Corona, (Latin for “crown”), to imply that she had lived a richly spiritual life. Coronaviruses are so named because the spiky germs resemble a crown under a microscope.

But during the current pandemic, some faithful are conflating the names and praying for the saint’s intercession:

⦁ Earlier this month, Vienna-based Gloria TV posted an article describing St. Corona as the “patroness of pandemics.”
⦁ On March 18, the Diocese of Lansing, Michigan, posted an article to its website calling on Saint Corona — “Patroness of Pandemics” — to intercede for the congregation.
⦁ On Wednesday, a headline on a web article by The Hill read: “German cathedral prepares showcase for relics of Saint Corona, patron of epidemics.”

Meanwhile, officials at Germany’s Aachen Cathedral, one of Europe’s oldest, are displaying relics of St. Corona. But contrary to a Reuters report, she has not historically been referred to her as an intermediary for “resisting epidemics.”

Still, her intercession could be of aid in the ongoing health emergency, say scholars.

“In view of how COVID-19 has triggered an economic crisis, with many people fearful about money matters looming ahead, it might not be at all far-fetched for them to call on the saint for support,” the Catholic News Service said in its post.

The news service added that St. Corona’s feast day — May 14 — may prove a more reasonable time for emerging from the shadows of stay-at-home orders for many Americans than Easter, as has been promulgated by the White House.