The Blessing of the Throats will be done at the Thursday morning Mass on February 2nd. The annual blessing of the throats is a traditional sign of the Christian struggle against illness. With faith, we follow the lead of the Church in asking for St. Blaise’s protection. St. Blaise was a bishop in Sebastea, Armenia, who was martyred in the year 316. While not much is known about him for certain, he is said to have blessed a young boy who was choking to death on a fishbone lodged in his throat, curing him. Eventually, the custom of the blessing of the throats arose. The crossed candles used to impart the blessing may be a reminder of the kindness of a woman who brought candles to him so that he might have light while suffering persecution for his faith in a prison cell. The Memorial of St. Blaise is Feb. 3. The throat blessings are offered around his feast day.