Dorothea of Caesarea

Patron Saint of:  Newlyweds, Brewers, Brides, Florists, Gardeners, Midwives 

Having made a personal vow of virginity, she refused to marry, or to sacrifice to idols.


Tried, tortured, and sentenced to death for her faith by the prefect Sapricius. 

The pagan lawyer Theophilus said to her in mockery, “Bride of Christ, send me some fruits from your bridegroom’s garden.” Before she was executed, she sent him, by a six-year-old boy who is thought to have been an angel, her headress which had the fragrance of roses and fruits. Seeing this gift, and the miraculous messenger who brought them, Theophilus converted, and was martyred himself. 

This story has been variously enlarged through the years. In some places, trees are blessed on her feast day because of her connection with a blooming, fruitful miracle.
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