Catholic Tradition: One Holy Catholic and Apostolic

Little is known of Saint Erasmus, or Elmo, but he is regarded as the patron of sailors, and is considered one of the 14 Holy Helpers.

He was a bishop of Formiae, in the Campangna. His relics were Formiae until the town was sacked in 842 by the Saracens, and they were moved to Gaeta. St. Erasmus remains a principal patron of Gaeta.

In Gaul and Flanders, the lowlands of France and Belgium, he is represented as standing with his intestines wrapped around a windlass. Thusly, his name is invoked for colic and cramps, especially in children.

The blue lights that appear at times on mastheads before and after storms are also thought to be a sign of his protection, and is known as “St. Elmo’s Fire”.